Paradox
by Somnambulicious
Summary: REVISED IYYYH X-over! As if dealing with a lecherous monk, an overbearing hanyou, and a slave-driving taijiya sensei in the past wasn't enough...now Kagome has to face her newest challenges: a kitsune kung fu sifu and a stalker in modern day Tokyo!
1. Youko Kurama

**Title:** Paradox

**Rating:** M for language, violence, adult situations, and Youko's dirty mind.

**Summary:** IY/YYH X-over! As if dealing with a lecherous monk, an overbearing hanyou, and a slave-driving taijiya sensei in the past wasn't enough...now Kagome has to face her newest challenges: a kitsune kung fu sifu and a koorime stalker in modern day Tokyo!

**Disclaimer:**  
I don't own either  
_Inuyasha_ or _YuYu_;  
Somebody else does.

This is a crossover with the animanga _Yuu Yuu Hakusho_. If you are unfamiliar with the characters, please look over the short explanation at the end of this chapter. This fic will be Alternate Reality after the Sensui arc in YYH and the Musou arc in IY.

I have just completed a major revision of this fic, and chapter 18 will be coming soon.

* * *

**Paradox**

by Somnambulicious

**Chapter 1**: Youko Kurama

Kagome finished braiding her pigtails and checked her appearance in the locker room mirror. Short black yoga pants and a slightly fitted black t-shirt..._not bad, not bad_, she thought. She knew from experience that wearing monochromatic clothing makes it harder for an opponent to judge your moves, and she wasn't about to get her ass kicked in her first kung fu class.

She snorted to herself. Not that _that_ was likely to happen. Every night for the past year, Sango had been training her in the _taijiyado_, the way of the demon exterminators. After the incident with Musou, when Kagome had put the others in danger just by being in the way, she had nervously pulled Sango aside and asked her if she would give her a few pointers. Sango had taken this as a request for full-fledged training, and she was more than happy to oblige. Of course, Kagome mused, that was probably because the first three months of training had been strength training, in which Kagome had to carry the Hiraikotsu for Sango...all day, every day, only to be subjected to even more grueling strength training at night.

After three months, Sango had gruffly proclaimed Kagome ready for the second part of her training. She still had to carry the Hiraikotsu during the day, but now, her evenings were spent doing kata and light sparring -- hand to hand and a little wakizashi -- with Sango. Her progression had been spectacular...until she'd had to spend a whole month in the modern era for the beginning of her final year of high school. Seeing Kagome's wavering kata upon her return, Sango had demanded that Kagome find a sensei in the modern era so that she could keep up her training while she was there.

And so, here she was, in the locker room of a Tokyo dojo, staring at herself in the mirror. Ayumi's older brother, who taught karate in Kyoto, had recommended this particular dojo, and Kagome was here for the only class that was held six nights a week: Beginning and Intermediate Wing Chun Kung Fu. Although she'd originally planned on taking karate, Kagome was excited at the prospect of learning a martial arts system that was only 300 years old. Nobody in the Sengoku Jidai knew this system, so perhaps that would give her an advantage.

Seeing the necklace draped around her neck, Kagome frowned at her reflection. She couldn't very well leave the shards behind, unprotected, in the locker room. She tucked the pendant beneath her t-shirt and prayed that the instructor wouldn't say anything about it. After the kuromiko Tsubaki had attacked Kagome with her own shards, breaking the fragile glass pendant they were housed in, Kagome had taken it upon herself to find a more suitable method of storage. Toutousai had been more than happy to forge an unbreakable chain for her, and Sango had supplied some youkai bone from her village to make a container that would somewhat shield that magic of the shards. To Kagome's surprise and delight, Inuyasha had carved the container with his own claws, fashioning a tiny bottle with a screwtop lid that he'd modeled after Kagome's shampoo bottle-top. As the years had passed, Kagome had come to regard her position as protectress of the Shikon no Tama with more and more seriousness, and she'd protect the shards with her life.

Straightening her shoulders and taking one last look in the mirror, Kagome turned and left the locker room.

* * *

Standing in front of the mirror in the men's locker room, Kurama pulled his long black hair into a low ponytail as he felt Youko stretch with an exaggerated yawn.

'_I don't see why you couldn't get a job doing something interesting,_' Youko argued for the dozenth time. '_You're intelligent. You're passably good-looking. You could probably charm your way into whatever job you wanted. So tell me again why we're doing this?_'

'_This position has ideal hours for me, and the management is flexible. I can have Kurabara fill in for me when we're busy with other things. The pay is excellent for a college student._' Kurama recited his arguments by rote. '_Besides, you're the one who insisted that I learn Wing Chun before I even started primary school._'

'_But it was new to me back then,_' Youko reminded him. '_My curiosity was satisfied years ago. Can't we move onto something else now? We would be so very well-suited for a job in antiquities._'

Kurama sighed. '_For the last time, we don't need that kind of temptation. I thought I was going to have a heart attack the time you persuaded me to steal an entire Kangxi tea service from the museum._'

'_They had it with the Ming collection._'

'_And we couldn't just move it to the appropriate place?_'

Youko sniffed derisively. '_If they don't appreciate fine antique ceramics enough to classify them properly, then they don't deserve to own them._'

'_It was a private collection. The owner had nothing to do with the museum staff's mistakes._'

'_Should've picked a better museum, then._'

Kurama couldn't argue with that.

Finally satisfied with the state of his hair, Kurama turned back to his locker and neatly stacked his street clothes, shoes, and keys inside. He'd jumped at the chance to teach this class when Kurabara had told him about the opening. Youko had insisted that he take kung fu classes as soon as he was old enough to stand on one foot. The Wing Chun form had been new to Youko, and he'd been curious due to his previous experiences with other forms of kung fu in the past.

The class was an hour a night, six nights a week, and Kurama hoped it wouldn't interfere too much with his studies. But he needed the income to help pay for his tuition and books at Tokyo University. Kurama didn't want to be a burden on Shiori, and so he was determined to be as independent as possible. Last year, his academic scholarship had just barely been enough to cover all of his costs, so he decided some supplemental income was in order this year.

Kurama left the locker room and entered the dojo, letting his eyes drift from student to student, searching for someone with promise.

* * *

Kagome looked up from her place on the floor when she heard the door to the dojo close. She managed to quash her gasp of surprise when she saw the...ah..._interesting_ specimen of a man who'd just stepped inside. He was dressed in red sweatpants and a form-fitting white t-shirt that showcased his muscular, if lean, physique. Long, dark hair cascaded down his back in a low ponytail, and his bright green eyes practically sparkled as he scanned the room. _Is he foreign?_ she wondered, but when his eyes met hers, all rational thought ceased.

The guy staring at her from across the room was, quite possibly, as beautiful as Sesshoumaru. His gaze lingered on her for just a heartbeat before he broke away and walked to the front of the room. Kagome shook herself out of her daze and rose to stand.

_Hmm, the cute one shows some potential,_ Youko observed in Kurama's head as he stared at the young woman stretching on the floor.

_You can tell already?_

_Indeed. See the musculature, the definition? Even her forearms are strong. And look, she's limber, too. She could probably bend those legs all the way behind her--_

"Good evening, class," Kurama said calmly as he strode to the front of the room, effectively cutting off Youko's fantasy. "Welcome to Beginning and Intermediate Kung Fu. I am your instructor, Minamino Shuichi, although you may refer to me as _sifu_." He covered his closed right fist with his left palm and bowed. Some of the students responded likewise, and the rest followed suit when they figured out what their classmates were doing. "Since this is our first class, I'd like to know how many of you have previous experience with martial arts." Five of the six boys in the class raised their hands, as did two of the four girls. Youko smugly pointed out that the girl he had noticed earlier was one of them.

"Would you each please give a short history of your experiences with martial arts? Oh, and your names as well, please," Kurama said, giving them all a brief smile that had the girls practically melting on the floor.

Two of the boys had a year's experience with karate, and the other three had negligible experience at best. One of the girls -- a tall, willowy teenager -- said she had taken judo for two years when she was younger. Kurama turned all his attention to the other girl with martial arts experience when she finally spoke.

"I'm Higurashi Kagome. I've been studying martial arts for the past nine months." Kurama frowned. It didn't escape his notice that she hadn't specified what she had been studying.

"Judo, perhaps? Or Aikido?" he asked, prodding Kagome into giving him further information.

Kagome nervously brushed imaginary dust from her shirt as she desperately searched for an answer. _What do I tell him? Stupid! I shouldn't have come here in the first place!_ "Oh, a little bit of this and that," she finally answered with a smile. "A friend has been teaching me. And I have about three years of experience in kyudo." She added the bit about archery as an afterthought.

Kurama's curiosity wasn't satisfied with her evasive answer, but he didn't want to push the issue...yet. Instead, he had the class follow him in a few laps around the dojo to warm them up before moving on to a few introductory moves in the Siu Lam Tao, the first form in Wing Chun.

Kagome picked up the forms quite easily. Sango had stressed to her the importance of attention to detail, and although these moves were foreign to her, she felt that she had them down well enough by the end of the class.

After an hour had passed, Kurama decided that it was time to end the class. "You all did very well," he said with a slight bow. "I look forward to seeing you in class tomorrow night."

"Um, sifu?" One of the smaller teenage boys in the back of the class raised his hand. "I was kinda hoping we could, you know, see some sparring. If you don't mind," he added.

"Well, I hadn't planned on it, since this is our first class, but perhaps it would be a good way to gauge some of your abilities." Kurama thoughtfully tapped a finger on his chin as he looked his students over. "You," he said, pointing to a largish boy who had the most experience out of the class, "and..." He was about to point at another of the boys when Youko suddenly sprang forward in his mind and took control of his arm. "You," he heard himself saying, pointing at Kagome.

_Youko! What on earth are you thinking? She's half his size, and she hasn't had any formal training_!

_Listen to me on this one,_ Youko calmly replied. _You'll see._

Kagome was a bit surprised that she was chosen to spar with the rather beefy boy who was giving her a smug smirk, but she dutifully followed him to the side of the dojo, where she strapped on the padding and helmet that they would wear for sparring.

"I'll go easy on you, okay?" the boy said to Kagome in a condescending tone of voice.

Kagome fought the urge to glare at him and instead smiled sweetly. "Oh, thank you. I wouldn't want to break a nail or anything," she said. _Lousy jerk probably couldn't break my nails if he tried,_ she thought to herself.

Once they were suited up, Kagome and the boy, whose name was Yukio, took their places opposite each other in the center of the dojo. The rest of the class and their sifu formed a wide ring around them. Kagome crouched easily into the fighting stance that Sango had drilled into her over and over again, while Yukio dropped into his own fighting stance.

"Begin," Kurama said, praying to whatever kami there were that this wouldn't end in disaster for Kagome. His prayers were unnecessary.

Yukio began with a rather slow punch aimed at Kagome's sternum, which she sidestepped without any difficulty. She delivered a sharp blow to the kidney as he passed her, which would've had him down for the count if he hadn't been wearing padding. As it was, the punch was still enough to make him wince.

_Don't overdo it, Kagome,_ she thought to herself as she and Yukio circled each other on the mat. He was frowning now. Apparently, he hadn't expected her to land the first blow. He feinted to the left, but Kagome wasn't fooled, and she deflected the blow aimed at her face quite easily. She landed an light, open-palmed blow to the side of his head as he left himself unprotected.

Kurama watched his two students with a critical eye as they sparred, noting that Yukio had yet to land a single hit, while Kagome was doing quite well. _She's holding back,_ whispered Youko, and Kurama had to agree. While she made contact often, Kagome's hits were light and controlled. But Yukio was getting frustrated.

After a couple of dozen failed attempts to strike Kagome, Yukio apparently had enough. He charged her, fully intent on tackling her to the mat. Kagome was too quick for the larger boy, however, and as she leapt out of his way, she landed a roundhouse kick to his back, sending him sprawling on the mat.

"All right," said Kurama, "I think that's enough." Kagome bowed to Yukio as he rose from the floor and turned her back to remove the padding. But Yukio would have none of that. In an instant, he landed a kick to the back of Kagome's right knee, sending her crashing down to the mat. The students' cries of indignation barely registered in Kurama's mind as he started forward to subdue Yukio, but Kagome was quicker.

Acting out of pure reflex, Kagome rolled to the side, leapt up off the floor, and brought Yukio down with a kick to the chest, all in a single move. By the time Kurama reached her side, she had Yukio down on the mat in an elaborate hold. The sifu's light touch on her shoulder brought her back to herself, and she released the boy to stand at Kurama's side, with her head hung low.

"I apologize, sifu," she said quietly.

Kurama reached out to grasp her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. "You have nothing to apologize for, Kagome. However, you, Yukio," he said, turning a fierce glare to the boy on the mat, "are no longer welcome in my class. You may ask the receptionist for a refund on your way out. Let this be a lesson to the rest of you." Kurama turned his gaze to the other students, who had crowded closer. "When I say a sparring match is over, it is over. You're dismissed."

The rest of the students left for the locker rooms, while Yukio tore off his padding and helmet and left them in the middle of the floor before stalking out. Kagome sighed and gathered what Yukio had left behind, placing the armor on a bench before sitting down to remove her own padding. Kurama watched her with interest. Youko was strangely silent, but Kurama didn't want to press his luck by questioning the fickle kitsune.

"Your friend must be a very good teacher," Kurama said as he walked up to where Kagome was sitting. She blushed prettily and refused to look at him.

"Yes, Sango is the best. But Yukio wasn't exactly a challenge." She glanced up to see Kurama's good-natured grin.

"No, I suppose he wasn't. We'll have to find you a more suitable sparring partner."

"Um...that would be nice, I guess," said Kagome, depositing the armor on the bench and standing. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow night," she said, bowing before she turned to the women's locker room.

"Until then," Kurama replied, heading toward the men's locker room.

As he entered, Kurama could hear the boys from his class excitedly discussing the sparring demonstration.

"Did you see that last move? Yukio's face was so red!" The boys laughed at that comment.

"Yeah, I can't believe the 'sick girl' could pull that off. When did she find the time to train?"

"Sick girl?" Kurama couldn't suppress his natural curiosity. Kagome was sick?

The boys turned toward him in surprise, apparently a bit shocked to see him there. One of them spoke up.

"Yeah, Kagome goes to my school. She's always missing class because she's sick."

"I heard she had leukemia last year," said another.

"And then there was that bout with lupus."

"Don't forget the malaria."

"And foreign accent syndrome."

Kurama couldn't believe what he was hearing. From what he could see, Kagome was in top physical shape. And what on earth was 'foreign accent syndrome?' The boys left the locker room, and Kurama decided to shower before he left.

While he was scrubbing his hair, Kurama finally realized that Youko hadn't said anything since Kagome's fight. _Youko? What's up? What did you think?_

There was a long period of silence before Youko replied. _Something about her form...she shouldn't know those moves,_ he said with a seriousness that shocked Kurama.

_What do you mean?_?

_Those moves, especially that last combination... The only people I've seen fight like that died out centuries ago. The taijiya_...

_Taijiya?_ Kurama was getting a bit annoyed with Youko's vagueness. What the hell was he talking about?

_Demon exterminators. The last of the taijiya lines died off three hundred years ago, when the barriers were formed._ Kurama caught a glimpse of an image that must have been out of Youko's long memory: a masked man, wearing what looked like a catsuit with odd blue armor, holding a kusari-gama. _They didn't want to pass on their fighting style, since it would only be used against humans after the demons were banished._

_Then where would she learn such a technique? She's obviously had no real formal training, since she turned her back on her sparring partner before he bowed._ Kurama asked.

_That is a very good question._ Kurama could feel Youko purring in delight. _It seems that we have a good puzzle on our hands, my friend. A very good puzzle, indeed._

* * *

**The _YuYu Hakusho_ Characters**:

**Urameshi Yuusuke**: When he was 15 years old, he pushed a child out of a car's path and was killed when the car struck him instead. He was returned to life, but he owes a debt to the prince of Reikai, Koenma. He serves as a spirit detective to pay off his debt. He skipped school often, much to his (sort of) girlfriend Keiko's consternation. He was constantly getting in fights. His main attack is the Rei Gun (spirit gun,) in which he blasts a shot of ki at his opponent. Yuusuke is the leader of the Reikai Tantei.

**Kurabara Kazuma**: Yuusuke's friend and rival at school. He has a large amount of spirit energy, and thus was invited to become Reikai Tantei (spirit detective.) He can use his ki to form a fiery sword at will. He is not the most intelligent person in the series, but he is a good fighter and loyal to the end. He is in love with Yukina, Hiei's sister.

**Botan**: The blue-haired ferry girl of the dead. She takes the souls of the departed to the afterlife, in service to Koenma. She rides a floating oar sometimes.

**Koenma**: The "Junior" ruler of Reikai. He stands in for his father, who is the king of the spirit world. At the beginning of the series, he is portrayed as a toddler with an adult voice. Later, he sometimes appears as a teenaged boy.

**Youko Kurama/Suuichi Minamino**: A kitsune and human avatar. Youko was a 400-year-old kitsune thief who was killed in a trap in Makai. He sent his spirit out into Ningenkai and joined with a newborn child, Suuichi Minamino. The two spirits, kitsune and human, coexist in the same body. Youko Kurama takes his true form (overtaking the familiar redhead's body) a few times in the series, but only when magically induced or under severe threat. Kurama serves as a spirit detective as part of his sentence for stealing a magic artifact from Makai. He is a plant-user, and uses youkai plants from Makai to heal or to attack his enemies.

**Hiei**: Hiei is half fire youkai, half ice youkai. His mother was one of the Koorime, a race of self-reproducing ice maidens who live on a floating island in Makai. She broke with tradition and fell in love with a fire youkai, giving birth to twins: the mixed breed boy, Hiei, and the full Koorime girl, Yukina. Hiei was almost immediately thrown into Makai and abandoned, only to be found and raised by a group of thieves. He has a Jagan eye implanted in his forehead, which gives him enormous telepathic and telekinetic abilities. He protects his sister, Yukina, who lives in Ningenkai, but she does not know that he is her brother.

Terms:

**Reikai**: Spirit World, where Koenma rules;

**Makai**: the Demon World;

**Ningenkai**: the Human World;

**Kekkai Barrier**: the barrier that separates Ningenkai from Makai;

**Reikai Tantei**: Spirit World Detective.

_Edited 17 May 2005_


	2. Inuyasha

**Title:** Paradox

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer:**  
I don't own either  
_Inuyasha_ or _YuYu_;  
Somebody else does.

**Paradox**,  
by Somnambulicious

* * *

**Chapter 2**: **Inuyasha**

Kagome was still berating herself for the fiasco during kung fu class as she kicked off her shoes and dropped her backpack by the front door. _Idiot! I knew better than to turn my back on Yukio._ She fervently hoped that she hadn't looked like a _complete_ idiot to her classmates...or to her instructor, for that matter.

Kagome's thoughts lingered on her instructor -- what was his name again? Minamino? -- as she prepared to take a shower before dinner. He certainly was attractive, there was no denying it. And he couldn't be much older than she was. She found herself vaguely wondering whether he had a girlfriend, but she quickly banished _that_ line of thinking from her mind. Between her trips to the Sengoku Jidai and trying to keep up with school, Kagome didn't have time for a boyfriend. And how on earth could she possibly explain her frequent, extended absences?

By the time she'd finished with her shower and dried her hair, Kagome had managed to forget about what had happened in kung fu class and was looking forward to yet another homemade dinner with her family. But her plans were shot to hell when the bathroom door flew open, and Kagome looked up to see Inuyasha standing in the doorway, an uncharacterstic look of panic in his eyes.

"Inuyasha! What's wrong?" Kagome asked, a hundred horrible scenarios running through her head. _Naraku? Sesshoumaru? An epidemic? The kazaana?_

"Get on. I'll explain on the way," Inuyasha said as he crouched in front of Kagome and waited for her to climb on his back.

_It must be bad if he's in this much of a hurry,_ Kagome thought as Inuyasha raced out of the house in a blur. He didn't speak until they'd made it through the well.

"The village is under attack," Inuyasha told her in a grim tone of voice. "We must have killed the oni four times already, but the damn thing keeps coming back. We need you to find the jewel shard."

"Right," said Kagome. "Is it one of Naraku's detachments?" she asked hopefully.

"No," said Inuyasha, shaking his head. "We still haven't seen or heard anything about him." Kagome felt Inuyasha tense as he said this. It had been a full year since they'd seen or heard anything about Naraku. After the Musou incident, it seemed like he'd just disappeared off the face of the earth, along with his jewel shards. The group had continued to search for the remaining shards, hoping to come across some rumor or scent of their hanyou nemesis in the process.

As they neared the village, Kagome felt the tingling in her senses that told her a jewel shard was nearby. Dusk was settling across the sky, but even in the gathering darkness, Kagome could see the devastation that the shard-enhanced youkai had left in its wake. Trees were sliced clean in half, and wide furrows had been driven deep into the ground where Inuyasha had used Tessaiga's Kaze no Kizu. In the village, half a dozen huts had been smashed to the ground like matchsticks, and Kagome mentally groaned. _It'll take the village months to recover from this!_

Sango's cry of "Hiraikotsu!" directed Kagome's attention to the center of the village, where Sango and Miroku were battling the oni. Hiraikotsu whistled through the air and struck the oni's left leg with a sickening crack, and the monstrous thing screamed in rage as it crashed to the ground, destroying yet another villager's hut.

Inuyasha skidded to a halt between Sango and Miroku, and Kagome dropped to the ground. "Kagome, does it have a shard?" asked Miroku as the oni's leg visibly repaired itself and the creature rose from the ground.

"Yes, it's in its belly. The oni must have swallowed it," Kagome replied. "Sango, can I borrow your wakizashi? I left mine at home." Sango nodded and tossed the small sword to Kagome. "You guys knock the thing down again, and I'll get the shard."

Inuyasha started to protest. "But Kagome--"

"No buts, Inuyasha. I'm the only one who knows exactly where the shard is, so I'm going to have to retreive it. We don't have time for you to hunt around for it." Inuyasha growled, but he didn't argue with her.

"Sango, you take the right arm, I'll take the left. Miroku, do you think one of your ofuda can knock it down?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes," said Miroku, taking an ofuda out of his robes.

"All right! Now!" screamed Inuyasha, and the three sprang into action. Sango released Hiraikotsu, aiming at the oni's right shoulder, and Inuyasha leapt into the air with Tessaiga raised above his head. Hiraikotsu and Tessaiga struck at the exact same moment, and in an instant, the oni was armless. Before it could even scream, Miroku's ofuda struck it in the chest, and the towering creature toppled to the ground.

Kagome sprinted up to the oni and climbed into its belly, where she could sense the jewel shard. She hesitated for just a moment before plunging the wakizashi deep into the flesh and pulling down, making a slice wide enough for her arm to reach in. Black blood poured from the wound, and the oni's flesh was hot to the touch when Kagome slipped her arm inside. The oni was stirring, but Kagome only had to fish around for a second before her fingers closed over the jewel shard, and she pulled her hand out with a cry of triumph.

Kagome was so caught up in the moment that she didn't feel the oni shift beneath her. As the creature took its final breath, it rolled over, and Kagome scrambled to get off of it, but she wasn't quick enough. Her friends watched in horror as Kagome fell backwards off of the oni, only to be pinned underneath its chest when it settled.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha was in full-panic mode at this point, and he rushed to where he'd seen Kagome disappear under the monster's heavy mass. He put his back to the oni's side and pushed, digging his feet into the earth beneath him, and Sango and Miroku joined in the effort. They finally managed to lift the oni enough for Kagome to crawl out from beneath it, sputtering and coughing.

"I got it!" she yelled excitedly as she waved at her friends. She was quite a sight, drenched in blood and gods only knew what else. A large bruise was already coloring the left side of her face. Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Kagome had the shard and was still in one piece. This was the first time she'd taken such a hands-on role in a battle, and he had been worried. Not that he'd ever let _her_ know that.

"Feh! It's about time!" he yelled as he sheathed Tessaiga. Kagome just smiled at him. She wasn't going to let him ruin her good mood.

"Well done, Kagome," said Miroku as he looked over the oni with a critical eye. "We should probably start getting this to the Bone Eater's Well." The villagers were beginning to gather around, coming out from where they'd hidden during the battle.

"Yes," said Sango. "I'll go get the oxen."

"And I'll get the harnesses," Kagome offered, but when she stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Inuyasha shaking his head at her.

"You're not doing anything until you take a bath," he said. "You reek of blood and...whatever was in that thing's stomach."

"Oh no! My clothes! Eww!" Kagome cried, noticing for the first time the state of her clothing. At least it was just a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

"I will loan you some clothes, child," said Kaede, stepping forward to address Kagome. Kagome bowed in thanks and followed Kaede to her hut.

It wasn't until she stripped down to bathe that Kagome noticed the long gash on her left arm, courtesy of the oni's armor. _That'll scar for sure,_ she thought with an odd sense of pride. She'd earned her first battle scar today.

She carefully cleaned the wound and wrapped it up using the tabi socks that Kaede had loaned her. When she was clean -- well, as clean as she could get without any bathing supplies -- Kagome dressed and headed back to the village. Halfway back, she was nearly knocked down when an orange blur launched itself at her chest.

"Ka-go-meee! You're okay!"

Kagome laughed. "Yes, Shippou, I'm fine. Where have you been?" Shippou climbed onto her shoulder as Kagome continued her walk back to the village. The full moon illuminated the path well enough for Kagome to keep from tripping on any stray tree roots.

"I was scouting the forest to make sure no more youkai were coming," Shippou said, his chest puffing up with pride.

"Oh, how very brave, Shippou! I bet you're the best scout in the world!"

"I don't know about _that_, Kagome. Hey, Sango said you fought the oni! And Inuyasha said you were stupid!" Kagome rolled her eyes at that one. _I'm sure he's taking that out of context...pretty sure, anyway._

"Inuyasha was just worried about me, Shippou. He thought I was going to get hurt fighting the oni."

"Sure, Kagome. Hey, how long are you staying this time? Did you bring me any pocky?"

"Sorry, I forgot my bag. Inuyasha was in a big hurry to get here. And I'm afraid I have to go back today. My arm is hurt, and I left my bandages at home." _Not to mention I really don't want to wear miko clothes any longer than I absolutely have to,_ she added mentally. Shippou's face fell in disappointment, and Kagome felt her resolve waver. "But I think I'll probably come back in a couple of days, and I'll be sure to bring a nice big box of pocky for you."

Shippou looked at her warily. "Strawberry?"

"If that's what you'd like," Kagome said with a laugh.

"That's great!" Shippou proclaimed, hugging Kagome's neck tightly. The two friends laughed merrily on their way back to the village.

* * *

By the time Kagome and Shippou reached the well, Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku had finished the grim task of cutting the oni's remains into well-sized chunks and disposing of the body.

"I don't think I'm ever going to get the smell out of these clothes," complained Sango as Kagome approached.

Miroku gave her a lecherous grin. "You could--"

"If you know what's good for you, you won't finish that thought, houshi." Sango's glare was enough to keep Miroku from pressing his luck. "Oh, Kagome, are you going back home tonight?" she asked.

"Yes, Sango. I left my bandages at home, and I need to patch up my arm."

"You're hurt?" Inuyasha was at Kagome's side in an instant, pulling at her sleeves to inspect the damage. "I told you not to fight!"

"It's nothing major, Inuyasha, just a cut." _But I'm glad to know that you care._

"Keh. Just because you've been training with Sango doesn't mean that you're ready to take on a youkai like that." _I worry about you, Kagome._

"Oh! Speaking of training, Kagome, did you find a sensei in your era?" Sango asked.

"Yes, I started classes yesterday. I'm learning a system of fighting called Wing Chun kung fu that's from the continent, and my instructor is quite good."

Sango raised an eyebrow. "The continent, you say? I expect you to show me what you've learned when you return."

"Of course. I'll be back on Friday night, in four days, all right? Come and get me if you hear any rumors of shards, or Naraku, okay?"

Inuyasha nodded. "I will."

"Don't forget my pocky! Strawberry!" said Shippou, giving Kagome a goodbye hug.

"I won't forget, sweetie. See you guys in a few days!" With that, Kagome jumped into the well and went home.

Inuyasha glared at Sango. "I hope you know what you're doing. Now that she's training, she's going to want to fight."

"We've been over this. Kagome needs to know how to defend herself. We can't always be there to protect her."

Inuyasha just growled and turned to go back to the village. _If I had my way, I'd always be there for you, Kagome._

* * *

Kagome got more than her share of odd stares the next day at school, but nobody asked her where her mysterious bruises came from. For once, Kagome was glad that Ayumi, Eri, and Yuki had been accepted into a better high school than she had; "I fell down the shrine steps" probably wouldn't have worked on them.

After school, Kagome headed to the dojo for kung fu class. She hoped the liquid stitches her mom had used on her arm would hold through class. The girls in the locker room edged away from her when they saw the extensive bruising on her face and left arm, and Kagome couldn't help but feel very lonely in that moment.

The rest of the students continued to avoid her as she stretched before class in the dojo. She could hear their speculative whispers, although she tried not to pay much attention to them. The two major theories as to how Kagome had received her injuries were that she had been caught up in a gang turf war, or that her parents had beaten her for her bad grades. _Gang turf war,_ thought Kagome wryly, _that's not too far from the truth._

Kurama walked into the dojo precisely on time, and the first thing he noticed was Kagome's dark bruises. _What the hell happened to her?_

_Looks like she took a pretty bad hit from something,_ replied Youko. _Her left arm is cut, as well._

Kurama frowned. He didn't like the idea of someone beating up on his best student. He resolved to talk to the girl after class.

The second class was much like the first: a warm-up jog, followed by stretching, and then more of the same moves from the Siu Lam Tao. Kurama didn't say anything about sparring, and nobody asked for any further demonstrations.

After class was over, Kagome made a beeline for the women's locker room. She had seen Minamino's furtive glances at her bruises, and she didn't want to come up with a cover story. But to her disappointment, he was waiting for her outside the dojo.

"Miss Higurashi, I'd like to have a word with you," Kurama said, straightning himself from where he'd been leaning against the wall next to the door.

"Yes, Minamino-sens-- I mean, sifu?" Kagome asked nervously, gripping the strap on her backpack and grinding her toe against the ground. Kurama saw her fidgeting and decided to make her feel more at ease.

"You're showing a lot of aptitude. Do you feel that the class is challenging enough for you?"

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, yes, sifu. You're a wonderful teacher," she gushed.

Kurama gave her his most heart-melting smile and said, "Please, Miss Higurashi, you can call me--" he seemed to pause and think for a moment before continuing -- "Shuichi."

"Okay, Shuichi, you can call me Kagome," she said, smiling back at him.

"As I was saying, you are progressing quite well in the Siu Lam Tao. Unfortunately, the other students are not as quick to pick up the movements are you are. I'd hate to think that they are holding you back." Kurama paused for a moment when Youko spoke up in his head.

_Offer private lessons! We can find out more about her fighting style that way_!

_Youko, we don't have time for that_.

_Psh. We're at the top of your class already; we can spare a few hours a week to a good puzzle_.

_It might look bad, offering to give one of my female students "private lessons" the second time I've seen her. The dojo owners would probably frown on that_.

Kagome, meanwhile, was bewildered at her instructor's extended silence. "Shuichi? Are you okay?" she asked, waving her hand in front of his face.

"Hmm? Oh, yes, Kagome. I was wondering whether you'd like some extra training after class a few days a week." _Dammit! I didn't mean to ask her that!_

Kagome blushed at the thought of spending time alone with her very handsome instructor. _Stupid! That's not what he's thinking! He's just being nice._ "Well, I _could_ use the extra training..."

"Very well, then," Kurama said with another disarming smile. "Would an extra half hour on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays be a good start?"

"That would be fine, I guess. How much would the private lessons cost?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, Kagome. It will be my pleasure."

Kagome smiled at him. "Okay, then, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," she said as she turned to leave, but Kurama's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"One other thing, Kagome," he said in a serious tone of voice that made her cringe. "What happened to you?" he asked softly, tracing the bruises on her cheek with his finger.

Kagome was silent. _What do I tell him?_ "Um, I fell down the steps at the shrine where I live. Clumsy me!" she said, laughing nervously.

Kurama could feel Youko's frown. _Her? Clumsy? She's lying, Kurama._ Kurama agreed. He shook his head.

"Don't lie to me, Kagome. Has someone been hurting you? Is that why you're taking this class?" His voice was barely above a whisper, and Kagome couldn't stop the shiver that went down her spine. He was easily diarming her carefully drawn lines of defense.

"Yes. I mean, no! I mean--" Kagome stammered. How could she have slipped up like that? "It's nothing! I tripped and fell!" she cried.

Kurama frowned at her again. "If someone's hurting you, Kagome, you can tell me. We can make it stop."

Kagome hung her head, trying to sort out her conflicting emotions. While it felt so very good to have someone care enough about her to ask about it, she couldn't very well tell him what was really going on. "There's nothing you can do about it, Shuichi. It's something I have to take care of myself," she said softly.

"Very well, Kagome. Perhaps in time you will tell me the truth. For now, I will continue to teach you to defend yourself."

"Thank you, Shuichi," Kagome said, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "You have no idea how much that means to me." She hefted her bag onto her shoulder and gave him a small smile. "I'll see you tomorrow night, okay?"

"Tomorrow night," Kurama agreed, and he watched her turn and walk away.

'_**Who's the girl, fox?**_' a curious voice inquired in Kurama's mind. Our of the corner of his eye, Kurama could see a dark figure sitting in the branches of a nearby tree.

'_Hello, Hiei. She's a student of mine_.'

'_A very intriguing puzzle of a student,_' Youko added.

'_**Hn. New obession, Youko?**_' Amusement colored Hiei's voice.

Youko sniffed indignantly. '_I'm not obsessed. I merely find her interesting. It's not every day you meet a high school girl who's being trained by a taijiya._'

'_**Taijiya? You've got to be joking**_.'

'_We don't know that, Youko,_' Kurama admonished. '_But she does seem to know a few unusual moves,_' he admitted.

'_And then there's the injuries,_' Youko added. '_That looked pretty serious._'

'_**Well, you'll have to put your little obsession on the back burner for now, fox. I came to warn you. Koenma's sending Botan to fetch us. There's been another breach**_.'

Kurama sighed heavily. '_And here I was planning to study tonight._'

'**_Don't worry your pretty little head. We'll be back before morning._**'

Youko's response that his head was anything _but_ little was cut off when the blue-haired ferry girl popped out of a portal in front of Kurama. "Kurama! Hiei! Great, you're both here. Koenma needs to speak with you now."

"After you," Kurama said with a slight bow.

Hiei just rolled his eyes before he followed Botan through the portal to Reikai.

* * *

Eight hours later, Hiei, Kurama, Yusuke, and Kurabara were once again gathered in Koenma's office.

"This is bullshit, Koenma! Whatever passed through is long gone, and from the readings, it couldn't have been anything big. You're sending us after insects, toddler. Insects!" Yuusuke pounded on Koenma's desk.

Koenma frowned. Yuusuke continued to call him that _insulting_ nickname despite the fact that he'd given up his babyish avatar in favor of a teenage version years ago. "Any breach in the barrier is cause for alarm, Yuusuke. You know this."

"Keiko's gonna have my head for this! We were supposed to be going over wedding plans tonight!"

Kurama stepped forward and raised his hands in an attempt to diffuse the situation. "I have to agree with Yuusuke on this one, Koenma. The breach was so small that we can't even be certain that anything actually got through."

"Ch," said Hiei. "The fox just wants to get back to his new _obsession_."

"Obsession?" asked Kurabara. "What obsession?"

"It's nothing," said Kurama, glaring at Hiei.

"Nothing?" asked Hiei, raising an eyebrow. "Don't you think Koenma would like to hear about your taijiya friend?"

'_I'm going to kill you for this, you know,_' Kurama thought.

'_**I'd like to see you try. This is too much fun**_.'

"Taijiya? What is he talking about, Kurama?" asked Koenma.

Kurama sighed and turned to the Reikai ruler. "A student in my kung fu class is displaying an...interesting style of combat. Youko believes she's being trained by a taijiya."

"What's a taijiya?" asked Kurabara, looking very confused as he scratched his head.

"Didn't you think it would be prudent to tell me about this?" Koenma asked, pointedly ignoring Kurabara's question.

"Hey! What are you guys talking about? What's a taijiya?" yelled Yuusuke. Koenma sighed and pointed at a TV monitor that suddenly appeared behind his desk.

"Taijiya were clans of youkai exterminators in the time back before the barriers between the worlds were formed. But the lines died out three hundred years ago." On the TV monitor, there was a painting of a man wearing a black catsuit with green armor that protected his shoulders, stomach, and legs. An odd-looking mask covered his nose and mouth.

"Then the only things alive that would know anything about taijiya are..." Yuusuke's voice trailed off.

"In Makai and Reikai, correct," Koenma said grimly. "Or rather, they _should_ be."

"How can you be sure that the lines died out? Maybe there were some that you didn't know about," Kurabara speculated.

"Perhaps. All the same, Kurama, I'd like you to keep an eye on this student of yours. What did you say her name was?"

Kurama's eyes flashed amber before he answered Koenma's question. "I didn't." The two stared each other down until Kurama finally sighed and gave in. "Higurashi. Higurashi Kagome."

"Very well, then. Kurama, you will keep an eye on this student. Actually," he mused, stroking his chin, "it wouldn't be a bad idea to have someone watch her during the day as well. She might lead you to this taijiya who is teaching her."

"I don't have time for that, Koenma. I'm taking a full load of courses this semester." Kurama flashed Hiei a sly grin before he continued. "But Hiei has plenty of time."

'_**You bastard**_.'

'_You brought this upon yourself, Hiei. I wasn't going to mention the girl_.'

Koenma nodded. "It's settled, then. Kurama, you will get to know this girl during your classes, and Hiei, you will follow her during the day. I'm going to look up the girl's file and see what I can find out about her."

"Hey, do you have anything for us to do?" Kurabara asked. Yuusuke gave him a not-so-subtle punch to the stomach for 'volunteering' the two of them.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt for you to meet the girl, Kurabara. Let us know if she displays any unusual spirit energy."

Once they were back in the Ningenkai, in Kurama's apartment, Hiei glared at Kurama for all he was worth.

"I have better things to do than to follow some ningen girl around all day, fox."

"Like what? Glare at people? Brood?"

"Hn. If this is some scheme to get in this girl's pants--"

Kurama rolled his eyes. "I assure you, it is no such thing."

'_Although the prospect isn't exactly distasteful,_' mused Youko.

Hiei's eyes flashed in anger. "I am not going to play matchmaker for you, fox. Find someone else to do it."

'_Jealous, Hiei_?'

"Hn. Not likely."

'_Of course, who could blame you? After all, we can probably have any woman we want. But you, on the other hand_--'

"Youko, that's enough. I apologize for him, Hiei. He's just angry because you revealed his new puzzle to Koenma."

"Don't bother apologizing. I have _work_ to do," Hiei said before leaping out of the open window. Kurama shrugged and closed the blinds. Now that most of the team was working on Youko's new puzzle, it wouldn't take long to uncover the mysteries surrounding this Higurashi Kagome.

_Edited 17 May 2005_


	3. Hiei

**Title:** Paradox

**Author:** Somnambulicious

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer:**  
I don't own either  
_Inuyasha_ or _YuYu_;  
Someone else does.

* * *

**Chapter Three**:** Hiei**

Hiei sat in the crook of a branch on the Goshinboku and watched yet _another_ family dinner at the Higurashi house. It was Thursday night, and he'd spent the last two days following the girl as she went to school, to the dojo, and back home again. The only thing he had to report to Koenma thus far was that the girl's life was supernaturally _boring_.

Hiei couldn't even read the girl's mind -- not that he really wanted to. She had some sort of mental defense, and all he could catch was the occasional stray thought or image. Silver hair and amber eyes...a flash of purple robes...a bushy orange tail...spiders...

He rolled his eyes as the girl and her brother argued over who had to do the dishes tonight. Mama Higurashi came to the rescue by telling the boy -- what was his name? Souta? -- that he should do the dishes, as Kagome had to pack.

_Pack? Is she going somewhere?_ he wondered. This was the first interesting development in the girl's life thus far. At the very least, he was in for a change of scenery. He listened to the girl and her mother discuss what to pack.

"I bought some extra bandages and antiseptic this time, so you can leave some with Kaede. After what happened last time--"

"Thanks so much, Mama. You're the best!" Kagome said, squeezing her mother in a heartfelt hug.

"Here's a couple of clean towels and changes of underwear. Did you remember to take the extra blankets I sent last time?"

"Yes, Mama. Hmm, let's see. Sweets for Shippou, potato chips for Inuyasha, soda for Miroku... What can I bring for Sango?" Hiei's ears perked up when Kagome said that last name. Wasn't that the name of the person who was training her?

"Oh, I have the perfect thing! Come on, I think they're in my closet," said Mama. The woman and her daughter walked down the hallway to the woman's room. Hiei shifted to another branch to get a better view through the window. "Let's see... Oh, here they are!" she said, pulling down a box from one of the shelves.

"Athletic shoes?" Kagome asked.

"Yes, sweetie, they're crosstrainers. I bought them a couple of years ago when I signed up for an aerobics class, but I only went to two classes. I hope they fit. They'd be a whole lot more comfortable than the zori Sango wears."

"Oh, and they're coral pink! They'll match Sango's armor perfectly!" Kagome said, clapping her hands. _Armor?_ Hiei thought. _Perhaps the fox was right all along. I don't think there's a whole lot of humans running around in armor these days. Especially...wait, pink armor?_

"Oh, Kagome, speaking of armor, I've got something to show you," Mama said, leading her daughter downstairs.

"Oh! Did you finish it, Mama? Did you?" Kagome asked excitedly.

"I think so, dear. We just have to make sure it fits correctly," Mama replied, pulling what looked like black fabric out of a box in the living room. Hiei moved in for a closer look, peering directly through the window.

Kagome took the bundle her mother offered and unfolded it, revealing a one-piece black catsuit with green trim along the high collar. Her mother reached in the box and pulled out a pair of soft black boots and a green obi. Mama had replicated Sango's uniform from a photograph Kagome had taken.

"Oh, Mama," gasped Kagome, her eyes glistening with happy tears, "it's beautiful! Thank you so much!" she cried, hugging her mother around the waist. Mama laughed.

"Go try it on, dear. Hopefully Sango has finished the armor that goes with it."

"Okay," said Kagome, rushing up to her room to try on the new outfit her mother had so carefully sewn for her. She pulled the curtains shut, much to Hiei's annoyance. _Hn. It's not like I want to see her naked anyway._

Several minutes later, Kagome walked back into the living room, this time wearing the catsuit, obi, and boots.

"It fits perfectly, Mama! You are such a great seamstress!" she said happily.

Now it was Mama's turn for her eyes to tear up. Her little girl was growing up so quickly. "Kagome, I'm so proud of you," she said, beaming. "And I know your father would be, too."

"Thank you, Mama. Thank you for everything," Kagome said.

"Well, you should probably finish packing. Oh, and I almost forgot! Matsumoto-san and his family are coming over for dinner tomorrow night."

"Okay, then, I'll probably bring my stuff with me to school so I can go straight to the well after kung fu class. If I let Kimi see me, she'll want to talk for hours, and we can't have Inuyasha barging in when I'm late."

Mama laughed, recalling the eleven-year-old Kimi's idol-worship of Kagome. "I'll try to make sure they don't see you, dear." With that, Kagome went upstairs to change into her pajamas and finish packing for her trip to the Sengoku Jidai this weekend.

Hiei leapt further up into the Goshinboku and pondered this latest development. _So she's leaving tomorrow after the fox's class. And someone is coming to get her? Someone named...Inuyasha? Dog demon?_ Hiei frowned at the thought. _What would someone named dog-demon have to do with a taijiya-in-training? And the bandages...her mother said something about 'what happened last time.' That must have been when she was injured._ Hiei allowed a slight smirk to grace his lips. Things were finally going to get interesting.

* * *

When Kagome left the women's locker room and entered the dojo the next evening, she was surprised to see a new face in the class. A tall, orange-haired man was standing next to the sifu. He stared at her for a moment while she stretched, and then he leaned over to whisper in Minamino's ear.

Kurabara had been complaining to Kurama about Koenma's paranoia, sending them on nonsense missions, but he was shocked into silence when a short girl wearing pigtails walked in. Kurama looked at his friend, who was staring at his best pupil.

"Kurabara? Do you sense anything from her?" he asked.

Kurabara was silent for a moment before he leaned over and whispered to Kurama. "Is that her? Is that the exterminator girl?"

Kurama nodded. "Do you sense anything from her?" he asked again.

Kurabara's eyes were widened in awe. "I've never felt anything like it before. Her spirit, it's strong like a demon's, but there's something weird about it. Her aura is..." he struggled to put his thoughts into words for a moment, "it's like Genkai, but not." He shook his head. "It's calming, and...pure?" The last word was more of a question than a statement.

Kurama nodded and frowned. He had half-hoped that Kagome would turn out to be just a normal teenager, for her own sake. She seemed like a nice enough girl, and he didn't like the thought of her being drawn into Koenma's paranoid schemes, but if she had the kind of spiritual power Kurabara said she did, he didn't see any way around it.

Kurama stepped forward and bowed to his students. "All right, class, I have a treat for you today. This is my friend, Kurabara Kazuma," he said, motioning to the man at his side, "and he will help me with the class today. We will perform a sparring demonstration at the end of class." The students looked pleased at his announcement. "Now, let's start with a warm-up jog."

Meanwhile, Hiei snuck into the women's locker room and easily picked the lock to Kagome's locker. He pulled out the large yellow bag and dumped the contents out on the floor.

_Books...cup ramen...soda...more cup ramen...six boxes of pocky..._ He pocketed half of the pocky before continuing his survey of the bag's contents. _Clothing...bathing supplies...what's this?_ He picked up a small cardboard box and frowned at it. _'Feminine protection?' A weapon of some sort, perhaps?_ He tore the box open, and several paper-wrapped tubes fell out. He opened one and was even more confused at the sight of a cardboard tube with a wad of cotton stuffed inside. _What's she going to do with this? Throw it at someone?_ He snorted at the thought and continued his survey.

_Paper and pens...a mirror..._ He found a small plastic box and opened it, sniffing at the contents. _Smells like the stuff human women wear on their faces._ He closed the make-up box. _Bandages...medicine...three lighters...chopsticks...cooking supplies...a flashlight...a knife...a wakizashi, mediocre quality, and...a sleeping bag?_ Hiei frowned as he considered the items Kagome had packed. _It's almost like she's going...camping?_

He stuffed the items back into the oversized backpack and reached to put it back in the locker, but stopped short when he saw another bag inside. It was about a meter and a half long, with a drawstring at the top. _What's this?_ he wondered as he pulled the bag out.

Reaching into the top of the bag, he pulled out an unstrung bow and a quiver full of arrows. _Hn. The fox did say that she knew kyudo,_ he thought as he moved to pull one of the arrows out of the quiver. A flash of blue light and a searing pain on his fingers made him pull back with a muttered curse.

"Hamaya," he whispered, scowling at the offending arrows. _A very interesting development, indeed._ He was actually looking forward to seeing where the girl was going with this odd assortment of items in tow. He put everything back into the locker and made sure to lock it once again before leaving the locker room.

Kagome found the sparring match between Minamino and Kurabara to be quite entertaining. She could tell that Kurabara was a great fighter, but he relied far too much on his brute strength, allowing Minamino to take advantage of his overextensions and failure to block. Once the match was over, she waited for the rest of the students to leave so she could begin her private lesson.

"Do you mind if Kurabara sticks around to watch?" asked Kurama. "I'd like his opinion on your fighting style."

"Of course I don't mind, sifu," she said, smiling at Kurabara. She stuck out her hand. "I'm Kagome, by the way. Higurashi Kagome."

Kurabara took her hand and shook it. "I'm Kurabara Kazuma, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Kagome," he said.

Kurabara stepped back as Kurama moved in front of Kagome. "I want you to strike at my head with your right fist, and I'm going to block you. Then kick with your right leg like this," he said, demonstrating with his knee high and his right foot at a 45-degree-angle at her hip, "and grasp my arm, and push, like this," he said, demonstrating. "You want to get my knee to lock, and then you can pull me down onto the mat. Got it?"

Kagome nodded. "I think so," she said. They went through the movements a few times, Kurama correcting her form slightly. He stopped when he heard Hiei's voice in his head.

'**_Fox_**.'

"Kurabara, would you mind taking over for me for a moment?" Kurama asked.

"I don't know," said Kurabara, frowning. "You know how I feel about fighting girls."

Kurama sighed and Kagome rolled her eyes. "It's just practice, Kurabara. You don't have to actually hit her."

"Okay, I guess so," said Kurabara, taking a fighting stance across from Kagome.

Kurama leaned against the wall and watched the two practice while he talked to Hiei.

'_What's up, Hiei? I haven't heard from you since we talked to Koenma_.'

'_**Ch. I was busy, if you recall.**_' The girl might prove to be interesting, but Hiei still wasn't happy about how he'd been duped into following her by the fox. '_**I've got news,**_' he said cryptically.

'_Yes?_'

'_**She's leaving after class today, going somewhere with the woman named Sango and someone named Inuyasha**_.'

'_Dog demon? That's...not good._'

'_**Her bag is full of camping gear, and she also has a quiverful of hamaya**_.'

'_Hamaya?_' Youko gasped, and Kurama felt him shudder. '_Is she a miko?_'

'_**Could be,**_' mused Hiei. '_**She does live at a shrine, and Kurabara said she was powerful.**_'

'_I see you've been stalking us as well,_' Youko said, grinning. '_Are you enjoying yourself?_'

'_**Hardly. Humans are so boring. The most exciting thing that's happened to the girl so far is the outfit her mother made for her.**_'

'_Outfit?_' asked Youko.

'_**It looks like one of the taijiya outfits, without the armor**_.'

'_Anything else, Hiei_?' Kurama asked.

'_**No. Like I said, the girl is boring. If this camping trip doesn't turn anything up, I'm not following her anymore**_.'

Kurama's attention was drawn away from the fire apparition when he saw Kagome staring in horror at something across the room. Kurabara was scratching his head, trying to figure out what had spooked the poor girl.

"Kagome? Is something wrong?" Kurama asked.

"That-- That hornet on the wall over there..." she whispered. "Kill it. Please."

Kurama turned and looked at the spot she was staring at, and sure enough, there was a large hornet high on the wall. He took a shinai off of a stand and walked up to the hornet, which didn't move as he approached. Leaping up, he struck at the insect with the shinai, and the hornet fell onto the floor in two pieces.

Kagome crept forward and stood behind Kurama, clutching at his arm. She peered around him at the bug on the floor. "Is it dead?" she whispered.

Kurama looked down at the hornet. "Yes, I believe it is," he responded. He was amused at the thought that this tough little maybe-taijiya-in-training was frightened of a bug. Kagome released his arm and crouched down to get a closer look at the hornet. Her fears were confirmed, and Kurama could barely hear her whisper in horror.

"Saimyoushou." She started to shake, and Kurama and Kurabara stepped forward in alarm.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" Kurama asked. _'Saimyoushou?' What is she getting at?_

"That insect..." her voice trailed off, and she suddenly stood. "I've got to get home! Bye!" She turned heel and ran into the locker room. Seconds later, with her bags slung over her shoulders, Kagome sped out the front door.

"What was that all about?" asked Kurama. He turned to see Kurabara stooped over the dead insect. "Kurabara? What's wrong?"

"That insect, it's not normal," he said, straightening to look at Kurama. "The spiritual energy was youki."

"Youki? Maybe that's what got through the barrier the other night."

'_It seems that Yuusuke may have been right._' suggested Youko.

"Then how did Kagome know what it was?" Kurama wondered out loud. Nobody had an answer to that.

* * *

As Hiei followed the fleeing girl, he could hear her muttering to herself.

"What the heck is a saimyoushou doing here? Did it follow me through the well?" Hiei caught a stray emotion from the girl when she said that -- fear?

Kagome was terrified. She cursed herself for not even being able to kill the stupid bug. _Some taijiya apprentice you are, Kagome._ But she'd been too shocked, too overcome with worry for her family to strike out at it. _Thank the gods that Minamino was there._ She shuddered at the thought of being watched by one of Naraku's servants.

_Naraku..._ Was he here? Did _he_ come through the well? _Maybe it's just a stray, maybe it has nothing to do with Naraku,_ she tried to tell herself, but she couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding hanging over her head. It was too much of a coincidence. She had to get home, and quick.

She raced up the shrine steps despite her exhaustion, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her family through the window, sitting down at the dining table with their guests. _I've got to tell Inuyasha and the others now,_ she thought, and headed for the well house.

Hiei could feel the girl's relief when she looked through the window at her family. _Did that insect scare her that much?_ he wondered. He saw her turn away and walk toward one of the smaller buildings on the property. _Wait, isn't she supposed to be going camping?_

He watched her enter the wellhouse and shut the door behind her. There was a sudden surge of spirit energy that startled the fire apparition, and then he couldn't sense the girl's presence anymore.

Hiei threw the door to the wellhouse open and rushed inside, heedless of the consequences if the girl saw him. From what he could see, there was a wooden structure in the middle of the building, and...nothing else. If the girl was inside, then she must have been in the box.

He stepped forward and peered down into the depths of what appeared to be a dry well. The aroma of old magic, powerful magic, hit him hard, but he couldn't see anything at the bottom. _She's gone._

He was about to turn and leave to look for the girl when an unlikely possibility occurred to him. _The well...could it be a portal of some sort?_ He suspected that if it was a portal, it would lead to Makai. That would explain a lot about the odd girl. Without another thought, Hiei leapt into the well, and--

Nothing.

He landed softly on the dirt at the bottom of the dry well and cursed. The girl was gone, gone to somewhere he couldn't follow. He jumped back out of the well and went to the Goshinboku, settling in for a long wait. _She has to come back sometime,_ he thought.

* * *

The silver-haired hanyou was waiting for her when Kagome climbed out of the well in the Sengoku Jidai. "Inuyasha, thank the gods you're here!" she cried when she saw him.

"Keh. Where else would I be? You said you were coming back tonight," he replied, crossing his arms.

"No, you don't understand," said Kagome. "Have you sensed Naraku or any of his detachments near here lately?"

Inuyasha frowned. "You know I would have come for you if I did."

"This is very important. Do you smell anything off about the well? Like maybe something besides us went through?"

Inuyasha's frown deepened, and he leaned forward to sniff around the well. "No, I don't. Kagome, what is all of this about? You think something went through the well?"

"I'll tell you, Inuyasha, but I want to tell the others as well. Come on, let's get back to the village and I'll fix us some ramen." Inuyasha couldn't argue with _that_, so he grabbed her backpack and followed her to Kaede's hut.

Over dinner, Kagome told her friends about the saimyoushou she'd seen at the dojo. Nobody knew what to make of it, especially since Inuyasha couldn't smell that anything had been near the well lately.

After dinner, Sango told Kagome that she wanted to speak with her alone, and the girls left the hut and headed to the edge of the forest. Sango carried a cloth-wrapped package with her.

Sango took a deep breath before addressing Kagome with what sounded like a prepared speech. "Kagome, you've been training with me for a year now, and you're made a lot of progress. I've never had an apprentice before, other than those two ninja girls--" she grimaced at that thought "--and, as you know, I am the last of my clan of taijiya." She paused at that, and Kagome noticed that she didn't say anything about Kohaku. She took a deep breath before continuing. "A few days ago, you earned your first battle scar, a momentous occasion for us taijiya. In the village, those who bravely fought their first battle against youkai and fared well were invited to join us. As the last of my clan, it is my place to offer you this. Kagome, would you like to formally join the ranks of the taijiya?" Sango nervously lowered her eyes, afraid her offer would be rejected.

Kagome gasped. She knew what this meant. If she accepted Sango's offer, she would be adopted as a formal apprentice. She smiled as tears welled up in her eyes. "Sango, I would be honored to become a taijiya," she answered, and when Sango lifted her eyes, Kagome could see the tears spilling from the taijiya's eyes.

"Oh, Kagome! You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that!" Sango cried as she enveloped Kagome in a bone-crushing hug. She stepped back and wiped the tears from her eyes. "If I didn't have an apprentice, and something were to happen to me, the ways of my clan..." She didn't have the heart to finish that thought.

"Sango, I promise I'll be the best apprentice taijiya ever! I'll work extra hard, you can count on it!"

"You'd better," Sango said with mock seriousness. Then her eyes twinkled, and she lifted the cloth-wrapped package off of the ground and handed it to Kagome. "I guess you can have this, then," she said softly.

Kagome unwrapped the package to find a set of green armor inside, just like Sango wore, and her face lit up in delight. There was also a mask and a couple of seashells that would fit under the shoulder guards. Kagome peeked inside the shells, but to her disappointment, they were empty. She gave Sango an inquisitive look. Sango shook her head.

"You're going to have to make the poison yourself as part of your training."

"Thank you so much, Sango," Kagome said, giving her friend yet another hug. "You're the best sensei ever!"

Sango laughed. "Thanks. Now I believe a certain hanyou wants to talk to you." She turned and yelled at the tree where she sensed the hanyou's presence. "Right, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha leapt down from the tree where he'd been listening to their conversation. "Yeah, yeah. Come on, Kagome," he said, grabbing her arm to lead her further into the woods. "I want to talk to you."

"Thanks again, Sango!" Kagome yelled, waving to her friend. Inuyasha was silent as he lead her to the Goshinboku. He sat down on the ground at the base of the tree and motioned for her to sit next to him. It was then that Kagome noticed the oblong wooden box Inuyasha had carried with him. She raised an eyebrow and gave him a questioning look.

"Kagome," he began, "I've been watching you train with Sango, and you're not a bad fighter, but I still don't like the idea of you rushing into battle like you did the other day." Kagome opened her mouth to protest that statement, but Inuyasha continued before she could speak. "But I know I don't have any say in the matter. You're going to fight no matter what I say or do, so I figured you might as well have a decent weapon." He motioned to the box at his side. "Go ahead, open it up."

Kagome pulled the box into her lap and noticed that it was covered in ofuda. Strangely, the ofuda seemed to be sealing something in, instead of keeping people (or youkai) out. She carefully lifted the lid, and then gasped at what she saw inside.

The wakizashi was absolutely beautiful. The petite hilt, wrapped in blue fabric, fit nicely in her hand. She lifted it carefully out of the box, gazing in awe at the highly polished wood scabbard. A green ribbon was tied around it just below the hilt of the sword. Grasping the scabbard in her left hand, she used her right to slowly draw the sword. The metal sang as she drew it, sending a shiver down her spine. She stared at the finely honed blade for a moment before addressing Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha? This wakizashi, it's...special, isn't it?"

Inuyasha nodded in approval. "Good. I'm glad you noticed. Remember the hamaya you shot at Naraku," he asked, before he added, "the one that hit?"

"Yeah," said Kagome, rolling her eyes at his choice of words.

"I asked Sango to save it. Thought it might come in handy. Part of this blade," he said, motioning to the sword in Kagome's hand, "was made from that arrowhead. We found a swordsmith monk in a village north of here who forged the blade for you. It was tempered in honey from the bees of the holy mountain, Hakurei. And I made the scabbard from the wood of the Goshinboku. We hoped that you would be able to send your miko powers into the blade, like you do with your hamaya." He glanced down at Kagome, only to see tears rolling down her cheeks. "Hey, what's wrong? What did I say? Why are you crying?" His ears flattened against his head, and he cowered back, suddenly afraid that she was going to 'sit' him.

"Oh, Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, launching herself at him for a hug. "This is the nicest thing you're ever done for me!"

Inuyasha gently embraced her. "Yeah, well," he said gruffly, "maybe you won't be so useless now."

Kagome pulled back and laughed, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Yeah, maybe I won't."

"Well, why don't you try it out?" Inuyasha asked, pulling Kagome up to stand. "See if you can make it a hama-wakizashi."

Kagome closed her eyes and felt the power within her pulse, pushing at her hand as it did when she nocked a hamaya. She let it flow freely into the blade of the sword without really knowing how she did it. Kagome heard Inuyasha step back from her and opened her eyes.

She lifted the sword, her eyes widening in awe. A blue glow surrounded the blade, and when she swung the sword experimentally, tiny blue flames trailed behind it.

"Looks like it worked," Inuyasha observed, carefully staying out of the blade's reach. "But now that you've got a decent sword, don't think that you can just run around attacking every youkai that pops up. Let the more seasoned fighters handle things," he said.

"I will, Inuyasha." She was too pleased with her gift to feel angry at him. She sheathed the blade and sat back down. Inuyasha settled beside her. They sat in a companionable silence for a while before Inuyasha spoke.

"Kagome," he said, gazing up into the branches of the Goshinboku, "what are you going to do when this is all over? When the jewel is complete and Naraku is defeated?"

Kagome shrugged. "I guess that depends on the well. Whether I'm trapped on one side or the other, whether I can travel back and forth."

"What if you had to choose?" he asked quietly. Kagome patted his arm as she answered.

"I told you I'd always be with you, Inuyasha. I won't go back on my promise."

Inuyasha turned his gaze from the tree to look at her. What he had to say pained him to no end, but it had be said. "Kagome, I can't be with you, not the way I want to, not as a lover. Part of me belongs to Kikyou. It always will. I don't want you to throw your life away waiting for me, and I couldn't give only a part of myself to you. You deserve more than that."

Kagome fought back the new tears that threatened to fall. She knew this. She _knew_ it, and it hurt, but a part of her was thankful to him for saying it. She'd been waiting for him to say something for years now, so that she would at least know one way or the other. She didn't harbor the same feelings of hatred she'd had toward Kikyou years ago. Time had tempered her, softened her feelings and allowed her to sympathize with the undead miko. And she respected the sanctity of Inuyasha's promise to Kikyou, even if she thought it a rather stupid promise to make.

"Inuyasha," she whispered, "thank you."

"What? Why?"

"Thank you for telling me. I know that was hard to say, but I needed to know. But I still won't leave you. You're my best friend, Inuyasha, and I'll always be by your side."

Inuyasha's heart soared at her words. He had been so afraid, so very afraid that she'd yell at him, get angry at him, leave him. He didn't ever want her to leave. She meant so much to him, the first person to ever accept him and love him as he was, his first and best friend.

"Just as long as you don't fall for that Houjou guy. He's too wimpy for ya," Inuyasha said, and Kagome giggled at him.

The miko and the hanyou sat under the Goshinboku, watching the twilight fall for a little longer before they walked, hand in hand, back to the village for supper.

* * *

On Sunday night, a bruised and exhausted Kagome walked back to the well with Inuyasha. They had heard nothing: no rumors of shards, no scent of Naraku, nothing. So Sango had insisted that Kagome train even harder all weekend long now that she was an official apprentice taijiya. If Kagome had thought Sango's training methods were tough before, it was a piece of cake compared to what Sango put her through now. Not even the bribe of well-fitted and highly appreciated athletic shoes had alleviated Kagome's suffering.

She wore her taijiya uniform and armor proudly, with the new wakizashi hanging from her obi. She wanted to show off her new outfit to her family. Kagome left her old sword back in the village with Kaede. It never hurt to have a backup.

Kagome stopped in front of the well and smiled at Inuyasha. Their relationship had improved by leaps and bounds since their discussion. Kagome didn't have to wonder about his feelings anymore -- she knew he loved her as a friend -- and Inuyasha didn't have to worry about her leaving him.

"So, you'll be back on Friday night again?" asked Inuyasha.

"Yes," Kagome said. Going to the Sengoku Jidai on Friday nights meant she missed a half-day of school every Saturday, but she was willing to make that sacrifice. "And you'll come get me if you hear anything."

"Of course, Kagome," he replied, smiling warmly at her. "I'll be waiting for you. And don't forget to bring the brat more pocky."

"Yeah, I will. I could've sworn that I packed more than just three boxes," she replied.

Kagome gave him a quick hug before jumping into the well. As the blue light of the portal swelled and surrounded her, Kagome's thoughts turned to her schoolwork. She'd have to make up a test tomorrow, and there was that history paper that she hadn't finished yet...

So it was that Kagome was off-guard when she looked up to see a pair of bright red eyes staring down at her from the well's edge. She gasped, and her hand flew to the hilt of the wakizashi at her side.

"Woman," said an eerily calm male voice, "you have some explaining to do."

_Edited 17 May 2005_


	4. Hiei, Part Deux

**Title:** Paradox

**Author:** Somnambulicious

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer:**  
I don't own either  
_Inuyasha_ or _YuYu_;  
Somebody else does.

* * *

**Chapter Four**:** Hiei, Part Deux**

Kagome's eyes narrowed in determination and she grasped the hilt of her sword, preparing to draw.

"I wouldn't do that. You will be dead where you stand before the sword is drawn," said the youkai at the top of the well. In a sudden black blur, the youkai was at her side, his katana drawn and pressed against her neck. Kagome tried to back away, but the pressure on her neck followed her. She swallowed and forcibly calmed herself. She could hear Sango's voice in her head as she remembered her training.

"_You must know your enemy. If he is youkai, what type is he? If he is human, is he a seasoned warrior or a green one? Understanding the nature of your enemy is the key to discovering his weakness_."

Kagome took a good look at the youkai holding a sword to her throat. He was shorter than she was, wearing some sort of a white-collared black cloak that fell below his knees. His red eyes were almond-shaped and narrowed in a hard, appraising glare. A white headband covered his forehead below a shock of black and white hair.

_A lot of good that did,_ thought Kagome. She couldn't tell what kind of a youkai he was just by looking at him, so she closed her eyes and recalled Kaede's miko training, allowing her spiritual senses to scan the youkai. All she caught was a feeling of strong opposing forces before the pressure at her throat increased and she felt a trickle of blood roll down her neck.

_Should I fight him?_ Inuyasha's words came back to her: "_But now that you've got a decent sword, don't think that you can just run around attacking every youkai that pops up. Let the more seasoned fighters handle things._" Kagome had been training for a year, but she wasn't stupid. She'd seen this youkai's speed in action, and he could kill her in the blink of an eye.

Hiei was beyond pissed. First the girl tried to draw her sword on him -- _him!_ -- and now she was attempting to probe his mind. He'd waited all weekend for her to return because he just _had_ to know where the portal took her. Hiei hated the idea that his quarry could flee to a place he couldn't follow and couldn't sense. He didn't want to kill the girl -- okay, some part of him did, but he'd get in even more trouble with Reikai, and he wanted answers from her. So he just pressed the blade of his katana further at her throat.

"Girl, cease your probing now," he said, his glare intensifying.

"Kagome," she choked out. When the youkai remained silent, Kagome frantically wracked her brain for an approach to the situation that would allow her to walk away with her life. _He's conflicted. Probably an outcast of some sort._ She thought back to her first meeting with Inuyasha, when he had tried to kill her. What could she have done differently then? _Perhaps..._

Kagome opened her eyes and smiled gently at the youkai threatening her life. "My name is Kagome," she said, maintaining that bright and sunny smile. "What's yours?"

Hiei didn't answer, but he did ease up on the pressure a bit in surprise. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had smiled at him like that, other than Yukina.

Encouraged by his response, Kagome decided to take her plan further. "You said you wanted an explanation. So what do you want to know?" she asked, as though they were two old friends having a chat over tea. She released her hold on the sword and brought her hands up in a gesture of peace. _If he tries anything, I've still got the blade hidden up my right sleeve,_ she thought.

Seeing her complicity, Hiei swiftly released her and sheathed his sword. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall of the well.

"Where does the portal go?" he asked. Kagome wasn't prepared for this question; she had assumed he was after the shards, and she didn't have an answer ready for him. She hemmed and hawed for a moment before deciding that an honest answer would probably be better for her health; after all, youkai could smell a lie.

"It takes me to the past," she said truthfully. Hiei narrowed his eyes at her. It wasn't the answer he was expecting, but he didn't detect any deceit in the girl.

"When?" he asked.

"The Sengoku Jidai."

Hiei rolled his eyes at her. "I am unfamiliar with your human eras. How many years ago?"

"About five hundred."

_That would explain a lot,_ mused Hiei. Five hundred years ago, there were no barriers, and taijiya were still practicing the art of youkai extermination. That would also explain the items in her bag.

"Why did the portal not work for me?" Hiei asked.

_Oh, crap, he tried to get through?_ "The well only works for me," she replied.

In an instant, his hand was at her throat, yanking on the necklace there and twisting, nearly cutting off her airway. "You lie, girl. You said the one called Inuyasha would come for you."

Kagome's eyes widened. _Has this guy been stalking me?_ "I didn't mean to lie," she choked out. "Inuyasha has a rosary that's connected to me. It allows him to pass through as well. No one else can get through."

Hiei released her once more. _Too bad. Five hundred years ago... In such a place, I could be free of Koenma's hold over me._ He had to find a way to get there, and this girl was his ticket. There was nothing holding him to this world, nothing he cared for, except...

_Yukina_...

His sister needed him. She would never know the lengths to which he went to ensure her safety, or the fact that he was her brother, but he'd sworn to keep her out of harm's reach. He mentally sighed. But still, such a place as this _Sengoku Jidai_ would be teeming with youkai, just waiting for him to take his frustrations out on them with cold steel, and with no Koenma to rein him in...

Kagome had relaxed in the silence, though she was careful not to make any sudden movements. When the youkai didn't say anything for quite some time, she felt bold enough to speak again.

"Perhaps we could continue this conversation in a more comfortable place? That is, unless you just want to let me go," she said with another brilliant smile.

The smile caught Hiei off guard yet again, and something about it made him relent.

"I have more questions for you. Come with me," he said, and before she could reply, Hiei grabbed her arm and leapt out of the well, bringing her with him. With another leap, they flew through the open doorway and landed high in the tree outside her bedroom window. Hiei settled back against the tree, while Kagome steadied herself, straddling a wide branch. _What is it with youkai and trees?_ she wondered.

"Are you sure you don't want to go inside? I could fix you something to eat, some ramen perhaps?" she asked, hoping her bribe would work as well on this youkai as it would on Inuyasha. Unfortunately, he didn't take the bait.

"Why do you go to the past?" he asked instead. It didn't make sense for the girl to leave behind modern comforts and safety to travel to a place brimming with bloodthirsty monsters. He would need to know more about this girl if he was going to go back to the past with her.

Kagome sighed. "Are you sure you don't want to come inside? It's a rather long story." When he didn't reply, Kagome sighed again and thought through how she was going to answer. She couldn't lie to him, but she'd tell him as little as possible. "I have a quest to complete there. I have to go back until I'm finished."

Hiei wasn't satisfied with her answer. "What quest?"

"I broke something, and now I have to fix it." If he was going to be short with her, well, two could play at that game.

Hiei glared at her, waiting for her to elaborate. When she failed to do so, he increased the intensity of his glare until he came to the conclusion that she wasn't going to tell him.

Finally, he growled out, "What did you break?"

"A jewel," she replied. Kagome decided that she was going to have to give him enough information to satisfy him before he let her go. She felt that something was holding him back from killing her, something he wanted from her, but that didn't mean that her family was safe just yet. She had no idea what this youkai was capable of. "A cursed jewel. I have to piece it back together before..." Before what? What could she tell him? "Before someone uses it for evil purposes and damns his own soul." It wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't a lie.

"Why you?"

"What?" Kagome asked, not understanding the cryptic question.

Hiei rolled his eyes in exasperation. He wasn't accustomed to talking so much, except with Kurama, but apparently this human couldn't read him well enough yet.

"Why do you have to do it? Why can't someone else?" he ground out, disliking the taste of so many words falling off of his tongue.

"Oh, that. Well, you see, I'm the only one who can feel out the presence of the jewel shards and purify them," she replied.

A thousand and one questions spun around Hiei's mind. _How did she break it? Why was she there in the first place? Why is she training as a taijiya? What is the significance of the saimyoushou?_ But he couldn't bring himself to ask her just yet. He was getting a headache just from talking to her for this long.

"We will continue this later. Go inside. I will be watching you," he said, and suddenly the girl's entire demeanor changed. She lost the sunny facade, and for a moment, he could smell the fear radiating off of her.

Kagome nearly shook at the thought of this unknown youkai stalking her, perhaps threatening her family. She could deal with such things in the Sengoku Jidai, away from her innocent friends and family, where she had her friends to help her, but here? In modern Tokyo? What if he was one of Naraku's detachments? After all, she'd seen the saimyoushou with her own eyes.

"Please, can't we just finish this now? Then you can be on your way. It's obvious that you find my presence annoying," she added hoping that her self-deprecation would earn her points with the youkai. When he didn't answer, Kagome decided to try another tactic. "I have a lot of youkai after me. I can't be certain that you won't hurt me or my family. Please, can't you just leave me alone? You must understand, I have to protect them. I won't put them in harm's way." Her eyes glistened with tears.

Hiei frowned. There was no way he'd acquiesce to her request, but something she'd said struck a chord with him. _She's trying to protect her family..._ He shook his head. He wasn't going to leave until he had his answers and a way through the well, but those things had to wait.

"No," he finally said firmly. Kagome sighed in defeat. This youkai was dangerous, Sesshoumaru-dangerous, but something about him... If she could just be certain that he wasn't Naraku's detachment, she just might be able to sleep at night. She took a deep breath, knowing that her next request was going to shock him.

"Then let me see your back," she said.

If he'd been anyone else, Hiei would've fallen out of the tree in surprise. But he was Hiei, cold and unemotional, so he barely raised an eyebrow at her audacity.

"My enemy carries a certain mark on his back," she explained. "I need to know if you have it. Please. Otherwise I'll have to summon Inuyasha." She hoped her bluff would work. There was no way she could 'summon' the hanyou without going through the well, and she had no doubt that the youkai was fast enough to stop her from doing that.

Luck was with her. The last thing Hiei needed was a full-out brawl with an inuyoukai in the middle of Tokyo. Koenma would have his head for that. He wasn't certain whether the girl could, in fact, summon her protector, but he didn't want to chance it. He leaned forward and inhaled deeply. Sure enough, the scent of an inuyoukai clung to her. She wasn't mated to this Inuyasha, but she was obviously close to him. Inuyoukai were notoriously possessive, and if she was a friend of this Inuyasha, he would fight for her. Sighing heavily, Hiei turned his back to her and raised his cloak and shirt, baring his back from his waist to his shoulders.

Kagome caught her breath when he actually complied with her wishes. She let her gaze linger on his well-muscled back, drinking in the defined lines and smooth skin from his shoulder blades all the way down to his lower back, where a pair of black pants hid the rest of him from view. She was so caught up in the sight that she almost didn't hear his exasperated voice.

"Satisfied?" Hiei asked when the girl didn't say anything. He turned his head slightly and smirked when he saw her staring, wide-eyed, at his naked back.

"Huh?" she asked, shaking herself from a daze. "Oh, yes. You don't have the mark. But please, don't hurt my family?"

"Ch," was all the reply she got, but she interpreted that to mean that he wouldn't. After all, if he was planning to use her family against her, surely he'd tell her in order to elicit her cooperation. He wasn't one of Naraku's detachments, and he didn't have a jewel shard to control him. From what little Kagome already knew of the youkai, he didn't seem like the type to follow Naraku -- or anyone else, for that matter -- willingly. He hadn't tried to take the jewel shards from her, either, and suddenly, Kagome didn't feel as frightened of him as before.

"All right, then," Kagome said, the smile once again returning to her face, "I'm going inside. Do you want something to eat?" He didn't reply, and Kagome took that as a 'no.' She carefully climbed down the tree and went to retrieve her bags from the wellhouse before going inside.

Hours later, Kagome had finally finished the history paper and was ready for bed. She peered outside. She couldn't see the youkai, but she knew he was out there. A strong wind shook the branches of the tree, and Kagome went to get something out of her closet.

Hiei was curious when the girl opened her window and tossed something onto a branch below him. He reached down to retrieve it, and was surprised at what he found.

The girl had given him a blanket.

* * *

The next morning, Kagome awoke to find the blanket folded neatly and lying on her windowsill. She looked out through the window, but couldn't see the youkai from last night. _Maybe I won him over with my sparkling personality, and he decided to leave me alone,_ she thought wryly. With her luck, that was highly unlikely.

Throughout the day, Kagome continued to peer over her shoulder, certain that the dark youkai was following her, but she never caught so much as a glimpse of him. What did he want with her? How did he find her? By the time she arrived at the dojo that afternoon, Kagome was exasperated. Part of her was glad that the youkai hadn't bothered her all day, but another part of her was strangely looking forward to seeing him again.

Kurama was shocked when he saw Kagome, her arms covered in bruises and a welt around her neck, as though someone had tried to pull her necklace off of her. He hadn't heard anything from Hiei since Friday night, and Youko was peeved at the lack of information. Kagome had missed two classes over the weekend, and Kurama had assumed she'd been training with the taijiya.

_'Hiei? Are you there?'_ Kurama searched out his friend as the class warmed up.

_**'Ch,'**_ came the recognizable response.

_'So what happened? Did she meet with her taijiya instructor?'_ Kurama asked.

Hiei was silent, unsure of how to answer. He didn't particularly like lying to Kurama, who was the closest thing he'd ever had to a friend. But on the other hand, he didn't want Kurama to find out about the portal just yet. Besides, Hiei was still harboring a grudge against the fox for roping him into this mess in the first place.

**_'No,'_** he finally answered, _**'the girl was ill all weekend.'**_

Kurama frowned at the response. _'Then where did she get those bruises, and the welt on her neck?'_ No answer. _'Hiei,'_ he asked slowly, _'did you attack her?'_

Hiei wasn't happy with the fox's question. He hadn't _really_ attacked the girl, just used a bit of..._persuasion_ to get her to comply with his demands. If he'd truly attacked her, she'd be in Reikai right now, sorting out her options in the afterlife.

_**'No, fox. She was wrestling with her brother, and they got a bit rough,'**_ he finally replied.

_'Her brother?'_ asked Kurama. _'An older brother? Is he the one she's afraid of?'_

Hiei snorted. _**'Her younger brother. I doubt he could kill a snail, let alone hurt the girl.'**_

Youko was losing patience with Hiei's evasiveness. '_He's hiding something from us, Kurama. Find out what it is._'

_'Then why are you still following her?'_ Kurama asked. _'I thought you said you'd quit if nothing interesting happened this weekend.'_

Hiei cursed himself for not anticipating that question. He couldn't come up with a convincing answer, so he settled for his usual response to questions he didn't like.

_**'Ch**_.'

Kurama gave an exasperated sigh. During the private lessons with Kagome, Youko had grown more and more certain that her style of fighting was that of the taijiya, and Hiei's discovery of the catsuit only confirmed his suspicions. But Hiei wasn't forthcoming with any more details. He'd just have to let Koenma wrangle the truth out of the fire apparition. Youko laughed at that thought. '_You think Hiei's going to open up to Koenma? Some genius you are, college boy._'

Outside the dojo, Hiei watched the class progress through a window. He didn't miss the girl's blushes when Kurama would smile at her, or her nervousness when he corrected her form with gentle hands. _Is she falling for the fox?_ For some reason, he disliked the thought. After all, he reasoned, the girl was _his_ ticket to a world where he could wreak havoc without consequences, and he didn't want the fox dampening his fun.

Now that she had resolved things with Inuyasha, Kagome found herself viewing her sifu in a slightly different light. He certainly was handsome. And strong. And limber (she wasn't sure she liked where _that_ thought was going.) And intelligent. And handsome. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks every time he smiled at her, and when he touched her to slightly correct her form, Kagome suddenly felt nervous and flustered. _Don't be stupid, Kagome,_ she scolded herself. _Just because you're not going to be Inuyasha's girlfriend doesn't mean that you have to like the next guy that comes along. But he _is_ handsome..._

Kagome's reaction to him didn't escape Youko's notice. He was preening and goading Kurama to take more liberties with the girl. _Ooh, slide your hand a little further up,_ Youko suggested when Kurama grasped Kagome at her waist and shifted her position toward the centerline. Kurama just ignored him.

As Kagome left the dojo, the sun was sinking in the sky, casting a red hue over the cityscape. About halfway home, she was startled when the dark youkai suddenly appeared at her side, as though he'd been there the whole time. She was oddly glad to see him.

"Hello there, mystery man," she said brightly. Hiei scowled at her. "Don't like being called a 'man,' do you, youkai? Maybe if you'd tell me your name, we wouldn't have this problem."

He supposed there wasn't any harm in telling the girl his name; giving into this small request might make her more willing to talk to him.

"Hiei," he said quietly, staring straight ahead as they strolled toward the shrine.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Kagome asked with a smile.

"What are the saimyoushou?" he asked unexpectedly. Now it was her turn to answer some questions.

Kagome's sunny mood faltered. She'd almost managed to forget that the hell insect had shown up in her time. "Spies," she finally answered. "They are the youkai spies of my enemy in the Sengoku Jidai."

"Why are they here?"

"I don't know," she said truthfully. "Maybe it has nothing to do with him. Could be a coincidence." Then the full extent of his question hit her. "Wait, they? Have you seen more?"

"Ch." He had seen one flying outside of her school earlier that day, but he'd killed it without the saimyoushou detecting him, purely for the fun of slaughtering something. Now he was glad that he did. There were few things he hated more than being spied on.

Kagome correctly interpreted his response as affirmative, and she shivered. Maybe having this Hiei stalking her wasn't _all_ bad.

"You are going back soon," Hiei said. It was more of a statement than a question.

"I'll be going back on Friday night, as usual. I have to go to school during the week, and it's been a year since we've seen...our enemy, so I've been staying here during the week until he shows up again."

"You will take me with you." _That_ caught Kagome off guard.

"What? Why?" she cried. "You can't get through anyway."

"The rosary allows Inuyasha to pass through."

"Yes," said Kagome. She didn't like where he was going with this.

"Then you will make me a rosary," he said, as if it was the logical thing to do.

Kagome shook her head. "No. You won't like it." Hiei raised an eyebrow at her, and Kagome elaborated. "The fact that Inuyasha can pass through the well is just a side effect of the magic. That's not the real purpose of the rosary. The first time I met Inuyasha, he tried to kill me. My miko-sensei put the rosary around his neck, and I used it to subdue him with a word of subjugation. All I have to do is say 'sit' and he crashes to the ground."

Well, _that_ didn't sound appetizing at all. Hiei considered his options for a moment. The only other way he could think of to bond himself to the girl wasn't an option. He wasn't about to do _that_ with some human girl, no matter how attractive or powerful she was.

Hiei surreptitiously considered the girl walking beside him. Dressed as she was, in black stretchy pants and a t-shirt, she was passably attractive, but nothing to really catch his eye. On the other hand, last night when he'd first seen her at the bottom of the well, wearing taijiya armor, with her hand on the hilt of her wakizashi and her eyes flashing in anger... Hiei banished the image from his mind. There was no _way_ he'd ever take a human mate. But she didn't have to know that...

Kagome, meanwhile, was busy congratulating herself for her cleverness. She took his silence to mean that he didn't like the idea of wearing a rosary of subjugation, and thus wouldn't be following her through the well. So his next statement shocked her to no end.

"There is one other way of connecting myself to you," he said, his eyes flashing momentarily. Kagome didn't like the way he said that. _Connecting...he couldn't possibly mean...could he?_

She stiffened and turned her full wrath on Hiei. "No way! There's no way I'm going to do _that_ with _you_!" She was practically fuming, and Hiei felt her ki spike in anger.

He leaned closer to her and spoke in a whisper. "I don't need your permission," he said. Of course, he wouldn't take her by force, even if he _had_ wanted her...which he most certainly did not. He wasn't a good person by anyone's standards, but even Hiei had his taboos, and rape was one of them. Still, he was surprised when Kagome shook her head.

"No," she said softly, "I don't believe you would do that." She fervently prayed that she was right.

Hiei glared at her. _She's either incredibly insightful or incredibly stupid._ "Then you will find a way to make the rosary acceptable to me," he said, crossing his arms.

_Damn._ Kagome didn't like the way things were going. "Why do you want to go back with me so bad?" If he had a rosary like Inuyasha's, she could subdue him if he became a threat, but she didn't like the idea of him being able to cross back and forth between eras without her supervision. She tried to remember what Kaede had told her about Inuyasha's rosary...

_''Tis the rosary that allows him to pass though the portal, child. Through it, he is connected to you, and the portal recognizes this,' Kaede said_.

_'But I didn't make the rosary or cast the spell, Kaede. You and Kikyou did. Why isn't he connected to you?' Kagome asked her_.

_'Ah, but he is connected to me. I cannot subjugate the hanyou like you can, Kagome, but it is his connection to me as well that allows him to pass through the well without you. Through the two of us, he has an anchor on both sides that allows him to pass through at will.' Kagome thought about this before she asked her next question_.

_'So if I made the rosary, cast the spell, and subdued him, he could only go through the well with me?' she asked_.

_Kaede nodded. 'That is what I believe. I cannot be certain, for such magic is fickle.' It was that day that Kagome had started to search out magatama and mala beads, and she made several other rosaries in private, in case Inuyasha's ever broke, or she needed to get her friends through the well in an emergency_.

Kagome roused herself from her memories when she realized that Hiei hadn't answered her question, so she repeated it. "Why do you want to go with me?"

Hiei didn't really want to answer her, but he had to admit that he needed her cooperation for this. "I am curious," he said truthfully.

By now, they had reached the steps to the shrine, and Kagome stopped and considered the youkai standing next to her. If he was telling the truth -- and she suspected he was -- and if she could control him to some degree with a rosary, perhaps she could let him go with her, and he'd lose interest and leave her alone. But then again, Inuyasha would have an absolute _fit_.

"How good are you at hiding yourself?" she asked, and in the blink of an eye, the youkai vanished. Kagome gasped and turned around, looking for him, and he suddenly reappeared, exactly where he'd been standing.

He smirked at her wide-eyed look. "I am only seen if I wish to be."

"And your smell and youki? Can you hide that too?" Kagome took his offended expression to mean that he could, and she came to a decision.

"Very well, I'll make you a rosary, but there will be certain conditions." Hiei wasn't pleased with that, but he decided to hear her out. "Since I will make the rosary, cast the spell, and speak the word, your connection to me will be stronger than Inuyasha's. You can only pass through the well when I do." Hiei considered this. She spent two out of every seven days in the past, which was plenty of time for him to kill a few dozen youkai, at least, so this wasn't entirely objectionable.

She continued. "Two, the rosary must subdue you. For one thing, I don't know another way to make the connection. And I'll need some sort of protection in case you _do_ decide to hurt me or my family." Hiei frowned at this, but he couldn't see any way around it. The girl would be a fool to see him as anything other than a threat.

"And three, you must hide your presence from my friends. I travel with a hanyou, a kitsune pup, a taijiya, and a very powerful houshi. If you let your guard down for even a second, they will sense you, and I don't want them to know that you're there." Hiei raised an eyebrow at her odd choice of companions.

"You will make the subjugation as weak as possible. I will not be slammed into the ground," he said.

Kagome nodded. "I didn't think so, and you'd probably kill me the first chance you got if I did," she said, smiling faintly at him. "I will make it so that you freeze in place for a few seconds." Hiei almost smiled then, glad that the girl didn't know about his Jagan eye or the Kokuryuhaa yet. Even if he couldn't move _physically_, he wouldn't be helpless by any means.

Hiei nodded to her. "You will finish this rosary by Friday."

Kagome smiled. "Are you sure you don't want something to eat? Mama always fixes way too much food for dinner, and I think we're having homemade ice cream for dessert." The ice cream tempted Hiei, but he refused to ask her for food. If he wanted some, he'd sneak inside after dark.

Kagome bid Hiei goodnight and went in the house, greeting her family with her usual post-school-and-workout exuberance (which wasn't very exuberant at all.) Hiei settled onto his favorite tree branch for the night, but he was disturbed when the annoying ferry girl appeared on her flying oar.

"Hiei! I finally found you! Koenma is ready for your report now," said Botan cheerily. Hiei scowled at her, but she'd be darned if she'd let him get to her.

Without a word, Hiei followed Botan through the portal and into Koenma's office, where the Reikai prince was waiting with obvious impatience, along with the rest of the team.

"Now that all of you are here," Koenma began, sending a pointed look in Hiei's direction, "I want to know what you've found out about the girl. Kurama?"

"The more we see Kagome's fighting style, the more Youko is certain that she is taijiya. She shows up to class with odd bruises and has unexplained absences from school," Kurama said.

Koenma nodded before turning to Kurabara. "Did you get a chance to observe her?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," said Kurabara. "She has very strong spirit energy, as strong as a demon, but it's the opposite."

"Kurabara said it felt pure," Kurama supplied.

"Pure?" asked Koenma. "That would make sense. What about you, Hiei? You've been following the girl all week, right?"

"Yes."

"Have you found anything interesting?"

"She has a taijiya outfit and carries hamaya at times. She was going to go camping this weekend, but she was sick and stayed home." Koenma nodded, but Kurama frowned at Hiei's short report. He hadn't told the Reikai prince anything that Kurama didn't already know. '_Something happened over the weekend. That's when he started hiding things from us,_' observed Youko.

_'Hiei? What's going on?'_ asked Kurama.

Hiei just smirked at Kurama and remained silent. '_Oh, now I _know_ he's hiding something from us._' Youko seemed to waver between joy at yet another challenge, and exasperation over the Hiei's sudden desire to withhold information. Kurama agreed, but he could only hope that the fire apparition would eventually open up to them again.

"I looked up the girl's file," Koenma was saying, "and that's why I'm not surprised to hear that she has powerful spiritual energy. She is the reincarnation of a powerful miko by the name of Kikyou who lived during the Sengoku Jidai." Hiei's curiosity was piqued. _That's the time period she travels to,_ he thought.

"Kikyou was the last guardian of a powerful artifact known as the Shikon no Tama," Koenma continued, pointing at a screen that displayed a round, pink jewel. "She died to protect it from an evil hanyou, and took the jewel with her to the afterlife." Hiei frowned. A jewel? It was too much of a coincidence. But if this Kikyou had taken it with her to the afterlife, how did Kagome manage to find and break it?

"I don't think she's a threat to us, since her energy is pure and her former incarnate was a miko, but I'd still like to know how she's been trained as taijiya. Kurama, Hiei, I expect you to continue investigating her. You're dismissed," he said with a wave of his hand.

"There is one other thing, Koenma, sir," said Kurabara, and both Hiei and Kurama flinched. They really didn't want Koenma to have any more information than necessary. "At the dojo the other night, she made Kurama kill a wasp for her. She called it a 'saimyoushou,' and it scared her. I think it was a youkai."

Koenma slammed his fists on his desk and stood, glaring at Hiei and Kurama. "Why didn't you two think to tell me this before? This means she knows about youkai! I want to know exactly _how_ she came across this knowledge and _what_ she's being trained for. I expect you two to have answers for me within a week. Is that clear?"

"Ch."

"Yes, Koenma."

Hiei, Koenma, and Kurabara left through a portal, but Yuusuke remained behind, off in his own little world. Koenma wanted to speak with him privately, anyway.

"Yuusuke, I'd like you take over supervision of this mission, since these two seem bent on keeping information from me," said Koenma.

Yuusuke was startled from a very nice daydream involving Keiko and a jacuzzi when Koenma made that unexpected request. "Aw, damnit, Koenma! You know I'm busy with school and the wedding plans! Can't these guys take care of it themselves?"

"Obviously you haven't been listening, Yuusuke. This is more important than your other concerns. Anything interesting enough to make those two deceive me has to be dangerous, and I want to know exactly what's going on."

"You're sending me to spy on them?"

Koenma frowned at his choice of words, knowing that Yuusuke would never want to betray his friends. "No, I want you to supervise them. You don't have to report to me unless something arises that is a threat to the Ningenkai or the barriers. I won't ask you about anything else."

"All right," said Yuusuke, "but when this mission is over, we're going to have a little chat about that salary increase I've been asking you about." Koenma nodded, and Yuusuke left, wondering how he was going to spy on two of the greatest thieves in the three worlds without getting caught.

* * *

Botan's portal had taken both Hiei and Kurama to Kurama's apartment in Tokyo, since that was where Hiei usually spent most of his time in Ningenkai. But to Kurama's disappointment, Hiei had sped off without a word as soon as they'd arrived. He rolled his eyes and settled down for a long night with his biochemistry textbook.

Kagome's house was quiet and dark by the time Hiei returned. The ice cream Kagome had mentioned earlier was tempting, so he snuck up to the back door, looking around to make sure no one was up and about. Two small objects set on the ground beneath the Goshinboku caught his eye, and he went to investigate.

The first was an insulated container full of warm soup, which Hiei promptly dumped out on the ground. He was far more pleased with the second: a large bowl of ice cream, set inside a larger bowl full of slowly melting ice. The girl had obviously gone to some trouble to feed him. Why? Hiei shrugged. That didn't concern him. He had ice cream to eat.

_Edited 17 May 2005_


	5. Jinenji

**Title:** Paradox

**Author:** Somnambulicious

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer:**  
I don't own either  
_Inuyasha_ or _YuYu_;  
Somebody else does.

* * *

**Chapter Five**:** Jinenji**

On Tuesday night, Yuusuke kicked an empty soda can as he walked down the street toward the dojo, hanging his head.

Kick.

_Damn Koenma_.

Kick.

_Damn Hiei_.

Kick.

_Damn Kurama_.

Kick.

_Dammit all to hell_.

He didn't want to spy on Kurama and Hiei. Yuusuke knew that if anything really serious was going on, they'd let the rest of the team know (well, Kurama would, anyway.) Still, it was their slip-up that had landed Yuusuke in this position in the first place, and he wasn't happy about that. Koenma had told him to spy on his friends. But he didn't say anything about being a _good_ spy...

Yuusuke spotted Kurama as soon as he entered the dojo. The kitsune was standing in a corner, watching his students stretch. He didn't look up as Yuusuke approached. The two of them stood side by side in silence for a moment before Kurama spoke.

"Koenma sent you to spy on us," Kurama said calmly, as though he were commenting on the weather.

"Yep," replied Yuusuke. They watched the students stretch for a while longer, and then Yuusuke spoke again. "Is that her?" he asked, inclining his head toward Kagome. Kurama nodded. "She's cute. Do you like her? Is that why you're protecting her from Koenma?"

Kurama shook his head. "It's not like that. We're not protecting her. Youko sees the girl as a puzzle, and he wants us to figure her out for ourselves."

"And Hiei?"

Kurama frowned. "I don't know what his motives are. He hasn't exactly been forthcoming with us. I don't know anything about her that you don't already know," he said truthfully.

Yuusuke frowned. "Kurama? If it was something dangerous, something important, do you think Hiei would let you know?" he asked.

"Of course," Kurama replied without hesitation. "I trust him."

Yuusuke nodded in acceptance. "And I trust you. If it's anything important, you'll tell me."

"Yes," said Kurama. "It's time for class to start. Are you staying?"

"I think I will," Yuusuke said. "I'd like to see this girl in action for myself." _Not to mention I'm avoiding Keiko. She's still pissed at me about this mission._

Kurama stepped forward to begin the class.

Kagome was surprised that yet another of Minamino's friends had come to class. He participated with the rest of the students, and while it was obvious that he hadn't been through any formal training, Kagome was impressed when he and Kurama sparred at the end of class. He was a better fighter than Kurabara had been, and in the end, she couldn't tell if he or Minamino was better.

When the rest of the class left, Yuusuke remained behind for Kagome's private lesson. As Kurama guided her through some more complex moves, Kagome's thoughts strayed to Hiei. She hadn't seen him all day, and she wondered whether he'd walk home with her again tonight. Kurama noticed her distraction.

"Kagome? Is something bothering you? Your focus is off today," he said.

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking about a friend of mine." _A friend...yeah, my friend, the youkai stalker._ She tried to bring her focus back to the lesson at hand, but it was broken when Kurabara burst in through the front door.

"Yuusuke! Keiko's looking for you!" he yelled. "She said you were supposed to look at tuxedos today."

Yuusuke scowled. _Damn. I forgot all about that._ "Tell her you couldn't find me," he said.

Kurabara frowned. "But you're right here."

Yuusuke slapped him upside the head. "Idiot! _Tell_ her you couldn't find me. I don't want her to know I'm here."

"Oh, okay," said Kurabara. "I'll tell her. Good evening, Higurashi, Minamino," he said before walking out the door.

Yuusuke sighed. "He's such a dimwit." He was surprised when Kagome scowled and poked him in the ribs. "Hey! What was that for?"

"You shouldn't make fun of him because he's a little slow," she scolded. "And it's not nice to call people names."

"But he _is_ an idiot." That comment earned Yuusuke another hard poke.

"It isn't fair to judge someone by how smart they are anymore than it's fair to judge someone by how they look. You can't take credit for your intelligence or your looks or anything else you were born with. What you are isn't important. It's what you make of yourself that matters," Kagome said. "Jinenji taught me that," she whispered, low enough that Yuusuke couldn't hear her, but Kurama did.

"Jinenji?" Kurama inquired. It was an unusual name.

Kagome smiled. "Jinenji is a boy I know. If you didn't know him, you might think he's a thug just by looking at him, but he's actually one of the gentlest people I know. He isn't smart either, but he _is_ wise. Everyone was afraid of him because of how he looked, but the only time I ever saw him fight was to protect the very people who were afraid of him. All he really wanted was to be left in peace with his garden and his mother."

Yuusuke rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the parable, mom."

Kagome just threw her hands up in the air and turned to walk away, but a wave of dizziness suddenly overcame her, and she stumbled, leaning against the wall for support.

"Kagome? Are you okay?" Kurama asked.

"It's nothing. I studied through lunch today and didn't eat anything. I guess that was pretty stupid, huh?" she asked wearily.

Kurama frowned. "You should take better care of yourself. Come on," he said, supporting her with his arm, "we'll retrieve your bag and get you something to eat."

Kagome's weak protests went unheeded, and soon she found herself sitting on the curb outside of a corner grocer's shop, with a chocolate bar in one hand and a bottle of orange juice in the other. Yuusuke had finally decided that it was time to go home to Keiko, so after seeing that Kagome was okay, he left them.

"That should get your blood sugar up quickly enough," said Kurama.

"Thank you. You didn't have to do this, you know."

Kurama smiled at her. _Oh, but I wanted to. I have so many questions, especially about how you know Jinenji..._

'_Don't ask her about that yet,_' said Youko. '_Get her comfortable first. Ask her about herself, her dreams. You have to get her to let her guard down._'

"So what are you studying in high school?" he asked.

"I chose the humanities instead of math and science." She grimaced. "I'm not very good at math, and I have a strong interest in history."

"Is that what you'll study in college?"

"Maybe eventually." She shrugged. "I don't think I'll go to college right after I graduate." _Not if the jewel is still incomplete._ "I have some personal business to take care of first."

"Personal business? Does it have anything to do with those bruises?" he asked softly.

Kagome gave him a sharp look. "It's really none of your business."

'_Too soon_' Youko said with a groan.

But Kagome was already apologizing. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. But you have to understand, that's just something I can't talk about."

Kurama decided to shift the topic to something else. "What you said earlier, about what a person makes of himself. Do you really believe that?"

"Of course," Kagome said with a smile.

"What if a person has a bad past?" _What if he's done things, awful things, things to hurt people?_

"Anyone can change," Kagome said with a shrug. "My best friends were all my enemies at one point. I've been kidnapped, attacked, and robbed, all by people who eventually became my friends."

"You have quite an effect on people," Kurama observed, thinking that her set of friends must be odd, indeed. _Kidnapped?_

"Oh, no, it's not like that," protested Kagome. "They were all basically good people to begin with. They just had to find out for themselves." She glanced at her watch. "Oh, no! My mother is going to be worried sick about me. I've got to go. See you tomorrow!" she said with a wave, and Kurama could only watch as she walked away.

'_Damn,_' Youko swore.

'_Do you think she's talking about the Jinenji we know?_' Kurama asked.

'_The similarities are too great to be coincidence,_' Youko replied. Jinenji was an ancient hanyou, older than Youko even, who lived in Makai. He was famous for his herblore, and Kurama had obtained his healing herbs from Jinenji's garden. The gentle giant offered his services to anyone in need.

'_I heard once that Jinenji had befriended a miko, back in the time before the barriers,_' said Youko.

'_Do you think it could have been the girl's former incarnate, Kikyou?_' asked Kurama. '_That would mean that she's remembering past life experiences._' It wasn't very likely.

'_It could be,_' mused Youko. '_There's only one way to find out._'

* * *

Kagome sighed as she walked down the sidewalk. _It would be nice to have someone here in my time to talk to about my life,_ she thought. _Minamino seems nice enough, but I can't drag another innocent human into my problems. It's bad enough that I've put my family in danger. But still, I told Hiei easily enough, didn't I?_

Her thoughts turned to the dark youkai. Why had she told him about her life, and not Minamino? _Well, there was that katana at my throat for one thing,_ she thought with a grimace. To be honest, part of her had been relieved to see a youkai alive in her own time. And he didn't seem to really want to hurt her or steal the shards. She knew without a doubt that he could have killed her quite easily.

Kagome smiled to herself. _All of my greatest friends started out as enemies,_ she thought. Kagome was, by nature, an optimist, and so she decided to see her initial confrontation with Hiei as an indication that they might be friends someday.

The similarities between Hiei and Inuyasha didn't escape her notice, and this time around, Kagome swore not to make the same mistakes she'd made with Inuyasha. Back then, she didn't understand the complexities of Inuyasha's life; she'd seen him as just another rude teenaged boy. She'd 'sat' him too many times for stupid reasons, yelled at him for things she didn't understand. In a kind of roundabout way, she was being so nice to Hiei as a way of redeeming herself with Inuyasha.

_Speak of the devil,_ Kagome thought as Hiei suddenly appeared, walking beside her with his hands in his pockets.

"Hello, Hiei," Kagome said brightly. "Did you enjoy the food I left for you last night? At least the ice cream?" She had seen the spilled soup by the Goshinboku this morning.

"Ch," said Hiei.

Kagome reached into her pocket and pulled out the remnants of the chocolate bar, wrapped in foil. "I saved this for you," she said.

Kagome could have sworn she saw an eager look cross the youkai's eyes, and in an instant, the chocolate in her hand was gone, and Hiei was munching on something.

Kagome giggled. "I see you have a sweet tooth," she observed. Hiei didn't reply. "So how come you're practically the only youkai I've seen in Tokyo?" Kagome asked. _Maybe Shippou and Inuyasha are still around,_ she hoped.

Hiei asked a question of his own. "How did you come across the Shikon no Tama?" he asked. He still wasn't sure that was the jewel she had broken, but her startled reaction confirmed his suspicions.

"Huh? What-- What are you talking about?" she asked nervously. "I- I don't have much jewelry, and I certainly don't own anything called a 'Shikon no Tama.'" _How did he find out? Was he after it all along?_ She cursed her own stupidity for allowing herself even a small amount of trust in this youkai.

"You know what I am talking about," Hiei said sternly. Kagome suddenly stopped walking and flicked out the knife hidden in her sleeve, dropping into a fighting stance.

"Stay away from me," she warned. "I won't let you have it."

Hiei was amused. "You think you can fight me and live?" he asked.

"I don't have a choice," Kagome said grimly. "I am its protector, and I can't let you have it."

Hiei's eyes narrowed. "Fool. If I wanted your silly jewel, don't you think I would have taken it by now?" The Shikon no Tama was legendary among youkai, and Hiei had heard of its great power. _Do I want it?_ he asked himself. It was true that he would like to increase his power, but if he did use it, he would attract unwanted attention from Reikai. Koenma would order the rest of the team to kill him, and he didn't want to fight Kurama. Besides, he had no way of knowing how the jewel's power would affect the Kokuryuhaa and the Jagan. It might give him the power to control it, but it could just as easily make him lose control. Magical artifacts were a tricky business, and it was a chance he didn't want to take.

Kagome, meanwhile, slowly backed away from him. She'd only met one youkai who had no interest in the Shikon no Tama, and that had been Sesshoumaru. It wasn't likely that Hiei didn't want it, but he was right; he could have taken it from her.

"I will tell you my story, but you must swear to me by whatever you hold dear that you won't try to steal it from me," she said.

"I give you my word," Hiei said with a nod.

"That's not good enough," Kagome replied, shaking her head.

Hiei considered what he could swear by that would satisfy her. _Yukina?_ he wondered. But no, he couldn't use his sister that way, and he didn't want to tell the girl about Yukina. Finally, he came to a decision. He unsheathed his sword, and Kagome flinched, but he merely held it out in front of him.

"I swear by my katana that I will not try to steal the Shikon no Tama from you," he said. _The wording still leaves me a few options if I change my mind,_ he thought. _I could always steal it from someone else._

Kagome considered him warily. He was a warrior, and an oath on his sword was nothing short of sacred. She nodded. It would have to do.

"Very well, I'll tell you the whole story. You'd probably find out sooner or later, since you'll be going to the Sengoku Jidai with me. But at least let me eat dinner first, okay? I nearly passed out back there in the dojo tonight." Hiei nodded. He'd seen the whole thing, including the girl's somewhat insightful -- if entirely misplaced -- defense of Kurabara.

Hiei thought about what she'd said back there in the dojo while he waited for her to finish dinner. _So she doesn't care about a person's origins, huh?_ It would explain why she was so nice to him, despite his youkai nature and harsh treatment of her. But he doubted that would continue if she knew his true nature. He was a cold-blooded killer, the Forbidden Child. Nobody accepted him, except Kurama, and he was a murderous, thieving kitsune avatar. Kagome was a human girl, an innocent, pure, taijiya-trained miko. She would hate him if she knew the truth.

_Ch._ Like he cared what she thought of him.

After dinner, Kagome went upstairs to her room and opened the window. "You can come in, if you like," she called out to Hiei. The next thing she knew, he was sitting on the window sill with his arms crossed. Kagome blinked in surprise. "Someday, you'll have to tell me how you do that," she said with a smile.

"You have a story to tell," Hiei reminded her.

"Are you hungry? I didn't think you'd want one of Mama's omelettes, but I brought you some Chew-Chew," she said, offering him the bag of lemon-flavored candy. Hiei scowled at her, disliking the fact that she'd already picked up on his sweet tooth, but he pocketed the candy for later. Kagome sat down on her bed, leaning back on her pillows for what was sure to be a long story.

"It wasn't always like this," she began. "Up until my fifteenth birthday, I was just like any other teenaged girl in Tokyo. But then Buyo hid in the wellhouse..." Kagome continued her story, telling him about Mistress Centipede and Inuyasha, Kaede and the village, the bandits and the corpse-crow. Then there was Urasue and Kikyou, Shippou and the Thunder Brothers, Naraku, Miroku, Sango, Kohaku, and Kouga. She told him about Sesshoumaru and Tessaiga, Goshinki and Toukijin. She talked well into the night, and Hiei didn't interrupt her. She didn't have to tone down the battle scenes for him the way she did for her family, and it was strangely liberating to get all of this off her chest. She told him everything up to Musou's attack and Naraku's strange disappearing act, and then she waited for him to comment.

The girl's story was shocking, to say the least. She'd been plunged into a situation that would make most human girls hide in their homes for the rest of their lives, but Kagome had accepted her responsibility and stepped up to it, with surprising success as well. Breaking the jewel had been a stupid mistake, though, and she certainly had a strange way of making friends. By her silence, he supposed she was waiting for him to comment.

"Ch," was all he said. After hearing her story, he was even more certain that he wanted nothing to do with the Shikon no Tama. Everyone who'd used it had come to a bad end, except for Kouga, and what his fate would be remained to be seen. Kagome stood and stretched.

"I should probably go to sleep," she said, yawning. "You can stay there if you like. Inuyasha does sometimes."

Hiei didn't reply. He just jumped out the window and settled into his favorite place in the tree outside. The girl had given him a lot to think about.

* * *

For the rest of the week, Hiei continued to remain hidden during the day and walk Kagome home after kung fu class, occasionally throwing out a demand for information about the Sengoku Jidai or inquiring about the rosary. After dinner, Kagome would sit at her open window, holding a very one-sided conversation with the youkai she knew to be in the branches outside, even if she couldn't see him. She told him more about her life: the worrisome relationship between Inuyasha and Kikyou, her worries about leaving Shippou behind when the jewel was complete, her fears for Miroku and her sadness for Sango. It was as though a floodgate had opened. She didn't even know if he was listening, but the simple act of telling her story to another being brought her some small measure of comfort.

At first, Hiei had tried to ignore the girl's ramblings, but he had to admit that she was a good storyteller. Perhaps she'd had practice with the kitsune kit that she treated as a son. Hiei had never had a mother to tell him such stories. The closest thing he ever got was the disturbing tales of bloodshed and women the thieves would tell around a campfire at night. Not exactly bedtime-story material.

Hiei wondered why he continued to hang around the girl, when his curiosity about her had long been satisfied. He knew she wouldn't leave through the well until Friday night, so why wasn't he off in Makai killing things, or sitting in Kurama's apartment, listening to the fox argue with himself? For one thing, he didn't want to answer the questions he was sure Kurama had for him, and for another... He found the girl's presence strangely calming. For his entire life, Hiei had struggled to control his two opposing natures, fire and ice. It was a daily struggle just for him to survive without destroying himself. But for some reason, when he sat in the branches of the tree and listened to this human girl pour her soul out in her stories, he felt oddly at peace. He'd _never_ felt that way before, not even around Yukina. What was it about this girl that affected him so?

From her stories, Hiei could gathered that he wasn't the only one that Kagome had this effect upon. She had tamed the inu-hanyou, calmed the taijiya's temper, reined in the houshi's thievery, and controlled the kitsune kit's trickery, to some degree or another. She had attracted the love of an ookami and the friendship of the inu-hanyou. She'd twice stood up to one of the most ruthless taiyoukai ever to walk the earth, and yet she lived to tell the tale. How was all of this possible? What was different about _this_ human girl?

Kagome, meanwhile, tried to get the youkai to tell her something about himself, or other youkai, but she rarely received more than a 'ch' in reply. She tried not to take it personally; it wasn't in Hiei's nature to be talkative, she realized.

More than once, Kagome questioned her own sanity in deciding to tell Hiei so much about herself. Inuyasha would be livid if he found out. For that matter, so would Sango, and she'd surely earn the disapproval of Miroku, Shippou, and Kaede as well. Heck, even her always-understanding mother would probably have a problem with what she was doing. She was a miko and an apprentice taijiya, trying to befriend one of the most dangerous and powerful youkai she'd ever come across. Kagome had never been the rebellious type, but keeping her strange relationship with the dark youkai a secret was oddly liberating and thrilling. After all, in spite of her overwhelming responsibilities, she _was_ a teenaged girl.

She wondered about Hiei's past. She didn't doubt for a second that he was a killer -- she could see that glint in his eyes, the same one she probably had to a lesser degree. It was a strange bond they shared, something that set them apart from the masses of people Kagome encountered in Tokyo everyday. Sometimes she thought she could see it in Minamino's eyes too, the eyes of a killer, but she dismissed that thought as ridiculous. Minamino was too nice of a guy to be a cold-blooded killer. Right?

Friday evening came, and Kagome carried her overstuffed backpack and cloth-covered bow and quiver with her as she headed home after kung fu class. As usual, Hiei appeared by her side on the way home. To her surprise, he wasn't carrying anything with him besides the ever-present katana at his side.

"You do know we're leaving tonight, right?" she asked.

Hiei just rolled his eyes.

"Don't you need to bring anything with you? A blanket, or some food? I brought a little extra, but I don't know if it will be enough for you, too."

"I need nothing," Hiei replied indignantly.

"Well, if that's what you think, fine. But if you need to ask me for something, wait until I'm away from my friends, okay?"

"That will not happen," Hiei said.

"Okay, remember, Inuyasha will probably be waiting for me on the other side of the well, so you'll have to hide as soon as we get there. And don't forget to mask your youki and scent as well, all right?" Hiei snorted. Like he needed a lesson in stealth from this human. "I'll be coming back on Sunday at twilight, so meet me at the well then. I'll try to get Inuyasha to let me go back to the well alone, but if that doesn't work, I'll go through and then come back for you a few minutes later when he's gone. And you will _not_ go off and slaughter innocent humans or hurt my friends, got it?" she said with sudden seriousness. "I'm not a violent person, but if you do anything like that, I will purify your ass to the seventh hell. Got it?"

"Ch," said Hiei. Like he'd go to all this trouble just to kill some humans. Where was the sport in that? No, there was much more challenging prey waiting for him in the past, he was sure of it.

When they entered the wellhouse, Kagome slid the door shut behind them. She turned on the electric light that Grandfather had installed for her and rummaged around in her backpack. "Aha! Here it is!" she said, pulling out the rosary that she'd made for Hiei.

It was similar to Inuyasha's, with the round black mala beads, but the teardrop-shaped magatama were black instead of white. "Are you sure you want to go through with this? Remember, I am the only one who can remove the beads."

"What happens if you die?" asked Hiei. The prospect wasn't all that unlikely, considering the girl's propensity for attracting trouble and the strength of her enemies.

Apparently, the thought wasn't a foreign one to Kagome, because she didn't bat an eye at that disturbing question. "The beads will come off then, but you'd no longer be able to travel through the well. If I died in the Sengoku Jidai, you'd be stuck there."

"What makes you think that I won't kill you once we're on the other side of the well?" Hiei asked.

"You won't," said Kagome with a shrug and a smile. "I trust you."

Hiei was shocked, to say the least, but his indifferent mask didn't show it. Nobody, _nobody_ had ever said that to him before. Hiei was certain that even the fox had his doubts about him. He didn't like the way her statement made him feel, so he decided to glare at her in retaliation.

"Then you're a fool," he said.

She just gave him another smile. "Perhaps, but I don't think so. Now, are you ready for me to put these on?"

Hiei didn't reply, but stepped forward and slightly inclined his head. Kagome slipped the string of beads over his head, noticing for the first time how warm the small youkai's skin felt. She paused for a moment, fingering the beads around his neck, and Hiei wondered at her lingering proximity. Wasn't she afraid of him? Disgusted by him?

Kagome stepped back and muttered an incantation under her breath, and the beads glowed. Hiei was seriously beginning to reconsider this whole thing, but then Kagome looked up and smiled at him.

"Last chance to back out," she said. "Now all I have to do is say the word of subjugation. Are you ready?"

Hiei nodded and prepared himself for the worst.

"Freeze," whispered Kagome, and suddenly Hiei couldn't move. He still had control of the Jagan, but his arms and legs wouldn't budge. After a few seconds, the spell wore off, and he could move again.

"There," said Kagome. "I won't use it unless I have to, but it would give me enough time to draw my weapon and purify you. But I don't think you'll do anything to deserve that."

Hiei rolled his eyes. "Are you finished with your blathering? Your hanyou friend is probably waiting," he said.

Kagome huffed. "Just for that, I should refuse to take you with me. But I won't. Come on," she said, grabbing Hiei's hand. "We have to go through together, or it won't work."

Hiei concentrated on not thinking about Kagome's soft hand covering his own, and held his breath as they jumped into the well together. He wasn't surprised when a soft blue light enveloped them, and the sensation of falling slowly lasted for a few seconds. When their feet landed softly on the dirt floor of the well, Hiei looked up to see a few stars twinkling in the twilit sky above. It had worked.

Kagome felt Hiei let go of her hand, and when she turned to look at him, he was already gone.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Tokyo, Kurama was washing dishes in his apartment. Youko was itching to get to Makai and ask a hanyou some very specific questions, but Kurama insisted that they clean up before they leave. He would _not_ come home to an apartment full of roaches.

He put the last clean dish on the drying rack and used a towel to dry his hands. '_Are you finished already?_' Youko had been nagging at him all week to just skip classes for a couple of days and satisfy his curiosity, but Kurama wanted to wait for the weekend so he wouldn't miss any lectures.

'_Okay, we can go now,_' Kurama said calmly as he opened a portal to Makai, stepping through and coming out about a mile away from Jinenji's hut. He would allow the hanyou to sense his approach rather than startle him. Youko and Kurama both had a fondness for Jinenji, and his healing herbs were the unsurpassed in the three worlds.

As Kurama approached the gardens, he could see Jinenji stooped amidst the rows of beautiful plants, pulling weeds with slow deliberation. Kurama approached and knelt down next to him, joining him in weeding the garden without a word. The heady smell of freshy disturbed earth and lightly bruised herbs soothed both kitsune and avatar. They worked together for an hour or so before Jinenji finally spoke.

"You haven't visited me in a long time, Kurama," said the gentle giant. Kurama smiled up at him.

"I was fortunate enough not to need your healing herbs, Jinenji-sensei."

"Then you have need of them now?"

"No," said Kurama. "Your generosity last time I visited you was more than enough. I came to speak with you."

"Then we will go inside, and I will make tea," said Jinenji, and he straightened his large frame and ambled into the house, Kurama following silently behind him.

Jinenji didn't smile; he hadn't in the many long years since his mother had died. But he was glad nonetheless to see Kurama. The kitsune avatar was one of the few who came to him and did not ridicule him for his heritage or the way he looked. He gave his aid to anyone in need, but Kurama was an especially dear friend. And it wasn't often that someone came to him who didn't need his herbs.

The two sipped their tea in a companionable silence for a few minutes before Kurama got down to business.

"Jinenji-sensei, I once heard a story that you befriended a miko, back before the barriers were raised."

A far-away look came across Jinenji's eyes as he remembered the girl who had showed him such kindness. "Yes. She and her friend stopped the villagers from hurting Mother and me. She was a very nice girl. Afraid of spiders."

"Was she, perchance, the guardian of the Shikon no Tama?" Kurama asked, trying to quash Youko's excitement.

Jinenji nodded slowly. "She was. She told me she had to keep it from a very bad hanyou. She used to come and help me in my garden," he said.

'_I knew it!_' said Youko. '_She _is _remembering her past life. The question is, how? And how does the taijiya fit in to all of this?_'

'_We will find out in time, Youko,_' Kurama answered patiently.

"I would like to stay and help you with your garden for a couple of days, Jinenji, if you would allow it," Kurama said. He could see that Jinenji was pleased at the prospect.

"I would like that very much. These old bones don't get around as easily as they once did, and I have no one to help me," Jinenji answered. They talked about herblore long into the night before Jinenji retired to his bed, and Kurama curled up on a warm blanket in the corner of the one-room hut.

* * *

_Back in the Sengoku Jidai_...

Kagome awoke the next morning in Kaede's hut to the delightful smell of breakfast cooking over a small fire. She stretched, wondering for a moment what Hiei was doing and how he was faring. _I'm sure he can look out for himself,_ she thought.

"Good morning, Kagome," said Sango cheerily. Miroku and Inuyasha were nowhere to be seen, but Sango was stirring something in a pot over the fire, and Shippou was busy shredding herbs over in the corner.

"Good morning, Sango, Shippou," said Kagome. "What do we have planned today?"

"We haven't heard any rumors, and we've been scouring the countryside for the past five days, so I thought it would be nice to stay in the village for a couple of days while you're here," said Sango.

"That's a great idea! I can show you what I've learned from Minamino-sensei, and spend some time playing with Shippou."

"Really?" said Shippou excitedly.

"Yeah," said Kagome, smiling. "I brought you some new toys and a brand-new box of crayons this time. We can play as much as you want today and tomorrow."

"Great! The village kids taught me a new game I want to play with you!"

"Okay, but first, we'll eat breakfast," said Kagome.

"Did somebody say breakfast?" Kagome looked up to see Inuyasha standing in the doorway, with Miroku peeking in behind him.

"It's ready," said Sango. Kaede joined them, and the group chatted over breakfast, avoiding any mention of the shards or Naraku. It was one of their happiest moments together.

After breakfast, Inuyasha settled into a nearby tree for a snooze (he'd been up all night keeping watch over the village, as he did every time Kagome was there,) and Shippou taught Kagome the new game, an odd mix of something like ring-around-the-rosies and duck, duck, goose. Later, she took the kitsune pup into the forest to look for medicinal herbs, and Inuyasha followed at a distance to keep watch. After lunch, Kagome and Shippou spent the afternoon filling all the paper they could find with colorful drawings. Kagome worked in some writing lessons while she was at it. Before dinner, she took Shippou to the river for a bath and a swim. By the time they sat down to eat with the rest of their friends, Shippou was nodding off, nearly falling onto his plate of rice more than once.

Kagome gently laid a sleeping Shippou down on her sleeping bag after dinner. She smiled as she tucked him in, and caught her breath when he murmured, "Good night, mama." Was he talking to her, or remembering his own mother? He'd never called her that before.

"Good night, Shippou," she whispered softly before she left the hut.

"I'm glad you spent the day with him," said Miroku when she walked out. He was mending the hem of his purple robes with careful stitches, and doing a surprisingly good job. Kagome sat down next to him.

"Yes, it was a nice day. I wish I could spend more time with him," she said.

"Yes, Kagome. We all wish we had more time." Kagome looked up sharply when he said that, but Miroku was still working on the robes, his eyes cast downward in deliberate concentration.

_Sometimes I forget,_ Kagome thought sadly, _and I wish he could, too._ The Kazaana must have always been on his mind, if only subconsciously. Miroku's days were numbered, but he hid any concerns he might have over his impending mortality well. Kagome didn't want to avoid the subject completely -- she knew instinctively that Miroku wouldn't appreciate it -- but she didn't want to talk about it directly either. She decided to approach the topic carefully to see if he needed to talk about it.

"Have you found someone pleasant to bear your child yet, Miroku?" she asked playfully. Miroku smiled up at her, and she could see that he appreciated her gentle approach to the subject.

"Why, no, Kagome. Are you offering your services?" he asked in the same playful tone.

Kagome tapped her chin with a forefinger, pretending to consider the question. "I don't know. I don't think Sango would be very happy with me if I did," she said, steering the conversation toward the taijiya she knew he loved.

"Why, there's no reason I can't have two heirs," Miroku said seriously. "A girl and a boy. Yes, that would do nicely," he said, stroking his chin.

"What? No!" cried Kagome. Was he taking her seriously? But then she saw the mischevious twinkle in Miroku's eyes, and knew that he was kidding her.

"My, my, Kagome. One would think that you've got your eye on another man, the way you keep turning me down. Or a hanyou, perhaps?" he asked.

"Inuyasha? Oh, no. Inuyasha and I have come to an understanding. We'll never be together, not like that." Miroku searched her expression for any hint of sadness, but he found none there, much to his surprise.

"Then someone else, perhaps? Someone in your own country?"

Kagome considered that for a moment. Was there someone in her own time that she liked? Minamino was handsome enough, for sure, but he hadn't given her any indication that he wanted anything other than a student-teacher relationship. Hiei-- _No! I do not like him! He's cold and quiet, and I know nothing about him!_ Kagome shook her head.

"Not right now, Miroku. It's not like I'm in a position to develop a relationship with anyone at the moment, anyway."

"You're a beautiful young woman," said Miroku softly. "Kind, honest, intelligent, powerful. I'm sure you'll make some worthy fellow a wonderful wife someday."

Kagome smiled and patted his arm. "Thank you, Miroku. And if you'd manage to stop that roving hand of yours, I'm sure you'll make _someone_ a great husband someday, too," she said pointedly, thinking of Sango.

Miroku laughed. "Perhaps. Perhaps."

Kagome looked up as Sango approached, wearing her taijiya uniform and carrying the Hiraikotsu. "Get dressed, Kagome. We've been neglecting your training today, and I want to see what you've learned in your own country."

Kagome sighed. _Back to the grindstone._ "All right, Sango. I'll meet you in the training field in a few minutes." She went inside to change into her own taijiya clothes.

Two hours later, an exhausted Kagome dragged her feet down the path as she headed back to Kaede's hut for the night. Sango had drilled her on the Wing Chun kung fu style, offering suggestions for how to alter the forms for a much larger, four-legged, or flying opponent and adapting the moves to her own style as well. Then she insisted that Kagome spend the next half-hour doing target practice with the bow. The last half-hour was spent in sword practice, with Kagome getting used to the feel of sending her miko energy into her new wakizashi.

Inuyasha was already up in a tree for the night when Sango and Kagome arrived back at the village, and Miroku was sipping sake with some of the village men. The girls went into Kaede's hut to change out of their taijiya gear before getting some much-needed sleep.

"Sango?" Kagome asked as she folded her catsuit. "What do you think happened to Naraku?" It seemed as though he'd vanished off the face of the earth a year ago.

Sango frowned. "I don't know. If he was dead, the Kazaana would be gone, so we know he's alive," she said sadly. Kagome knew what was bothering her.

"We'll find him," she said gently. "We'll find Kohaku and find a way to save him." Tears threatened to fall from Sango's eyes, but she smiled when she heard the determination in her friend's voice.

"Some days, I almost forget," Sango confessed. "It shames me to know that I would like to forget my own brother at times."

"There's no shame in that," Kagome assured her. "You have to get on with your life. If you allowed the grief to consume you, you wouldn't be strong enough to fight Naraku and save Kohaku. You are doing the right thing."

"Thank you, Kagome." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Now we should get some sleep. I want you to make the poison for your seashells tomorrow."

"All right. Good night, Sango," Kagome said as she snuggled into her sleeping bag next to Shippou.

"Good night, Kagome."

Kagome's last thought as she drifted off to sleep was, _I wonder what Hiei is doing..._

* * *

Hiei was having the time of his life. So far, he'd hunted and killed two boar youkai and a large centipede, and he was on the trail of what smelled like a large infestation of youkai worms. Individually, they wouldn't be much of a challenge, but in large groups, they'd provide enough sport to satisfy him. Hiei smirked as he sped through the forest. This was the most fun he'd had in _years_...

* * *

Kagome spent most of Sunday morning tending to a foul-smelling herb paste in a pot over a slow fire, trying to cook the mixture down to a dry powder without burning it. Sango warned her that the poison wouldn't be effective if it was burned. Inuyasha vacated the area as soon as he caught a whiff of the stuff, saying that he wanted to scout the area for youkai. Shippou wanted to help her, but Kagome didn't have an extra mask for him, so she'd sent him off to tend to the garden with Kaede.

After a quick lunch, Sango inspected Kagome's poison powder and gave her a nod of approval. Kagome donned a pair of latex gloves and carefully poured the powder into the seashells that would fit inside her shoulder guards. She stuck the cheap ceramic pot she'd used to cook the poison inside a large plastic bag and tied it securely, double-bagging it for extra protection. She'd have to dispose of it in the modern era.

After all that work, Kagome was sweaty and stunk of the poison, so she decided to take a bath before going home. Her sword, bow, and quiver rested on a nearby rock with her clothes as she soaked languidly in the soothing coolness of the river. For once, she wouldn't have to worry about being spied on. Sango had promised to keep Miroku occupied back in the village, and Inuyasha still hadn't returned from his 'scouting' mission.

The sun was already down to the treetops by the time Kagome finished dressing, so she hurried on her way back to the village. Kagome was preoccupied with getting back in time to meet Hiei at the well, and she didn't notice she had company until she ran smack dab into something tall and warm.

"Oof!" Kagome winced when she was knocked onto her back. "Silly Inuyasha," she mumbled as she rolled to prop herself up on one elbow. "Couldn't you wait until--" Then she looked up, and her blood ran cold.

It wasn't Inuyasha.

_Oh...oh, shit, shit, shit,_ Kagome mind repeated over and over, her eyes widening as she lay frozen on the forest floor. What she'd run into definitely wasn't Inuyasha. In the gathering darkness, she could make out the stocky outline of what looked like a man -- _bandit? samurai? youkai?_ -- leaning over her, nudging her in the ribs with--

"Ow!" Kagome scooted backwards, but the man followed, keeping his katana pressed uncomfortably against her side.

"Well, well, what have we here?" he asked with a dark chuckle. Kagome shivered as the dying sunlight lighted in his eyes. "Poor little girl, all alone in the woods. Poor little girl, so far from the village."

"Wh-what do you want?" Kagome asked, and then she remembered that she was _supposed_ to be acting like a warrior. "I mean, I'm armed! I have a sword! You'd better leave me alone!" she shouted in what she hoped was a menacing tone of voice.

The man snorted. "You think I'm blind?"

Kagome gasped as she realized that she must have dropped the wakizashi when she fell. _Oh, no!_ A furtive glance to either side of her turned up nothing. _Where is it?_

"And as for what I want from you..." He paused to lean closer, and Kagome fought the urge to cry out when she felt his katana press harder against her ribs. He was so close that she smelt the stale sake on his breath. "That depends on what you have to offer. Hand over your valuables, and then we'll see."

"Valuables?" Kagome thought quickly. "Ah, I d-don't have any with me, but if you take me back to the village, I'm sure my father will be willing to give you whatever you want in thanks for my safe return."

She barely had time to register the infurated look that passed over his eyes before he slapped her hard across the face. This time, Kagome couldn't fight back the pained cry.

"You think I'm stupid? Is that it, bitch? You think I'm an idiot?" He slapped her again, his voice rising in fury. "You think I'm stupid enough to walk into a fucking village?" Kagome cringed as his eyes lingered at the base of her neck. "You're wearing a fucking necklace, right there!"

Kagome tried to scream out at him, but her shriek was cut off when he grabbed the pendant and twisted as he pulled hard, choking her. _Stupid...unbreakable...chain..._ she thought as she struggled for air. She was just on the verge of passing out when he finally let go and shoved her back to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, the bandit's sword was pressed against Kagome's neck. "You...fucking...whore," he panted out. "You women always think you're so smart, but you won't get the best of me."

She couldn't scream. She couldn't even _think_ through the shock until he reached down to paw and pull at her skirt.

_No_...

"NO!" she shouted, finally finding her own voice. She grabbed his fist on the hilt of his sword with both hands and pushed hard, rolling to the left, scarcely under the blade. Her leg hit something cold and hard in the undergrowth, and she barely managed to quash a crow of triumph.

Kagome fumbled for the hilt of her wakizashi and pulled.

The man screamed in rage as he raised his sword for a killing blow.

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and whispered half a prayer, hoping that her mother wouldn't hate her _too_ much for dying in this godforsaken era...

And then she heard a small sound of surprise.

Cracking one eye open, Kagome could hardly believe what she was feeling, but her eyes didn't lie. The full weight of the bandit pulled her sword down, and she dropped it in surprise and disgust as his thick, warm blood ran down the blade and onto her fingers.

The man stared incredulously down at the sword embedded in his chest, and then looked back up at the slight girl who had actually struck him down. "You...you..." was all he managed to gurgle out before his eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed.

Right on top of Kagome.

She lay there unable to move, unable to breathe until the blunt handle of the wakizashi pressing into her stomach reminded her that she was, in fact, still living. Still holding her breath, Kagome shut her eyes tightly again and whimpered in the back of her throat as she wiggled her way out from under the corpse. The bandit's body toppled over, and Kagome scrambled backwards until she hit a tree, where she pulled her knees up to her chest and stared at the bandit's unseeing eyes.

That's how her friends found her, minutes later, when they burst onto the scene.

"Kagome! Are you alright? You're bleeding!" cried Sango.

Kagome blinked. _I...am?_

Inuyasha turned up his nose at the stench of human blood. "Oh, my fucking... Kagome? Kagome, are you okay?" The hanyou knelt down in front of his friend. _I wasn't here, dammit, I wasn't fucking here!_

The slight tremor in Inuyasha's voice brought Kagome out of her stupor, and with a cry she threw her arms around his neck. "Is he...is he dead? Did I kill him?" she managed to ask through her sobs.

Inuyasha pulled back a bit to give her a disbelieving look. "You did this, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.

That, of course, brought Kagome right back to her old self. "Inuyasha no BAKA! Do you see anyone else here?" she asked, fuming.

"Feh! Why didn't you call for us? We would've handled it!"

"Because I couldn't, you jerk! He had his sword up against my throat the whole time! Besides, you think I can't handle myself against one drunk bandit? Huh?"

"You're not exactly a portrait of composure right now!"

Sango frowned at the hanyou. Something was nagging at her, and Inuyasha wasn't helping the situation at all. "You and Miroku, back to the village." When the stubborn hanyou opened his mouth to protest, Sango turned her hardest glare on him and shifted Hiraikotsu on her shoulder. "**Now.**"

Miroku understood and grabbed Inuyasha by the shoulder, hauling him back to the village.

Sango lay a gentle hand on Kagome's shoulder. "You sure you're okay? I mean, he didn't..."

"No, no, I'm fine. And no, he didn't. I just...I didn't mean to..."

Sango wrapped her arm around Kagome's shoulders and hugged her fiercely. "I know, I know," she whispered. "Sometimes you don't have a choice." After a couple of minutes, Kagome's shoulders stopped shaking, and Sango stepped back. "I'll stand guard while you bathe, okay?" She glanced over at the remains of the bandit. "I'll retrieve and clean up that sword for you while I'm here, too."

Kagome nodded numbly. "Thank you."

From his place high in the branches above, Hiei slipped away as silently as he'd arrived.

An hour later, Kagome was scrubbed clean and had assured her friends yet again that she hadn't been hurt too much. Inuyasha insisted on escorting her back to the well for her protection.

"For the last time, Inuyasha, I'll be fine! It's a short walk, and I have my weapons right here."

"So? You did last time, too!"

"Yes, and I'm still alive! Please, let me do this. I need to go alone so that I can...ah...have more confidence in myself."

Inuyasha blinked. "Confidence?"

"That's right!" Kagome wagged her forefinger at him. "I'll never develop enough self-confidence to be able to defend myself if my friends think I can't handle a little walk in the woods alone, will I?"

"But--"

"After all, wasn't it you who said that my 'coddled childhood' was to blame for my 'complete lack of self-preservation instinct?'"

Inuyasha huffed. "But that was before--"

"In fact," Kagome interrupted him, "by insisting on following me to the well, you're saying that Sango is a poor instructor. Is that what you really think?"

"Um...uh...no, I--"

"Great!" Kagome gave him a broad smile and patted him on the shoulder. "I knew you'd come around! See you next week!" Before he could utter another protest, Kagome slung her backpack over her shoulder and skipped off into the woods, where a certain youkai waited for her to take him back to the modern era.

* * *

_Back in Makai_...

Kurama finished planting the seedlings that Jinenji wanted to get in before the next big rain, and he wiped his brow as he went back to the hut, where the ancient hanyou was sitting and drinking tea.

"I will be going home now. Thank you for your hospitality, Jinenji," he said with a bow.

"Thank you for your help, Kurama. You are always welcome here."

"And thank you for telling me the story about Kikyou, as well," said Kurama with another bow.

"Kikyou? Who is Kikyou?" asked Jinenji.

Kurama frowned. _Were we wrong all along? Maybe he's forgotten her name._ "She was the miko you befriended, the protectress of the Shikon no Tama, was she not?" he asked.

Jinenji slowly shook his head. "No, I'm fairly certain that her name was Kagome."

_Edited 17 May 2005_


	6. Koenma

**Title:** Paradox

**Author:** Somnambulicious

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer:**  
I don't own either  
_Inuyasha_ or _YuYu_;  
Somebody else does.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Koenma**

Back in his Tokyo apartment, Kurama was getting a headache. '_What the hell?_'

'_My sentiments exactly,_' agreed Youko.

They had been pondering the puzzle of Kagome for an hour and still couldn't come up with a satisfactory explanation for what they had learned from Jinenji. The possibilities included:

1. Jinenji was mistaken, and the miko's name had, in fact, been Kikyou. But where did he come up with the name 'Kagome?'

2. By coincidence, Jinenji had known _another_ miko by the name of Kagome. But how did Kagome know Jinenji? Or was that a coincidence as well? Perhaps her Jinenji was, in fact, human.

3. Kagome had been passing through the barrier and visiting Jinenji in Makai. In his old age, Jinenji had mixed up the girls' names.

4. Kagome was over five hundred years old. It wasn't unheard of for spiritually powerful humans to live for hundreds of years; '_Remember the stories about Pai Mei, over on the continent?_' Youko reminded Kurama. But even the most powerful of humans would have aged in that time, and Kagome didn't look a day older than eighteen. And why would a 500-year-old human _choose_ to go to high school?

5. The world was going to hell in a handbasket.

Kurama was leaning toward explanation number five at the moment. None of those possibilities explained how Kagome was learning a form of martial arts that was lost over three hundred years ago, or what was going on with Hiei. And where did the saimyoushou fit in? If she had been going to Makai, surely she would have encountered much larger, more dangerous youkai than the saimyoushou. Why would they terrify her so?

'_Maybe she's a time traveler,_' suggested Youko.

Kurama snorted. '_You've been alive for what, four hundred years? Have you ever heard a credible tale of time travel?_'

'_No_.'

'_If it was even possible, don't you think you'd have encountered it by now?_' asked Kurama.

'_There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies,_' Youko sagely advised.

Kurama rolled his eyes. '_I should never have let you read Shakespeare._' Tomorrow night, he was going to get some answers from a certain taijiya and a certain fire apparition. One way or another.

* * *

After a nice homemade meal, Kagome went upstairs to her bedroom and changed into her pajamas. Then she opened the window and leaned out, hoping to see Hiei there. He'd pulled his disappearing act again once they'd reached the modern era, so she hadn't had a chance to ask him how is trip was. To her surprise and delight, Hiei suddenly appeared on her windowsill, munching on some suspiciously familiar strawberry pocky.

"Hey! You're the one who's been stealing my pocky!" Kagome cried.

"Ch." If she didn't _want_ him to steal it, why didn't she keep it under lock and key? Not that it would make a difference...

"So what did you think? Where were you all that time?" Kagome asked, sitting down on her bed. Hiei shrugged.

"Around."

"Did you have fun?"

_You have no idea,_ Hiei thought. "I will be returning with you next weekend."

"Oh, really?" Kagome considered how she thought about that. He hadn't caused any trouble for her or the village, so she supposed it wouldn't be a big deal. But still, how long would this strange situation continue? _After all I've been through, I guess it's not that strange._

"I killed a bandit this weekend," Kagome blurted out suddenly, unaware that Hiei had seen the whole thing. "I'm not sure how I feel about that."

Hiei was confused. He'd seen what the bandit had planned to do to her, and in his opinion, she had let him off easy. "Why?" he asked.

"I've never killed a human before. It was always youkai, strong ones, and then only the ones we had to kill. When Inuyasha killed all those bandits who followed Gatenmaru, we were all upset with him. And he refused to kill the hell-painter because he was human, even though he was a murderer. Inuyasha wasn't supposed to kill humans, only youkai." Kagome frowned. "But I'm not sure why that was. Are youkai really that different from humans? Why is it okay for us to kill them, and not humans?"

Hiei didn't have an answer for that. He had no such moral qualms.

"That man who attacked me, he was as evil as any of the youkai I've killed. If I hadn't killed him, how many people would he have gone on to kill? To rape?" She shook her head. "Which is worse to have hanging over my head: the death of one evil man by my sword, or the deaths and suffering of many more, because I refused to kill?" she asked, her voice hardening. "I wasn't going to let him rape me. Did I do the right thing?"

_She's asking me?_ Hiei wondered. No one had ever asked him about doing the "right thing," whatever that was. But still, she was looking to him for comfort, and he felt a strange urge to give her an answer.

"You did what you had to do. You have a natural right to survive and to protect yourself," Hiei finally said. It was the most he'd ever said to her.

Kagome smiled at him. "Thank you, Hiei. That means a lot to me. So, how many youkai did you kill this weekend?" Hiei kicked up an eyebrow at her insight. "What? You think I don't know? I'm not stupid, Hiei. I know you're a killer, and there obviously aren't a lot of youkai to kill around Tokyo. I'd be surprised if you hadn't killed a few youkai over the weekend."

"Eight and a youkai worm swarm," he answered truthfully.

"And humans?" Kagome asked, hoping the answer would be 'zero.'

"Almost one. But someone else got there first."

It took a moment for Kagome to realize what he was implying. "You saw him? And you didn't do anything?"

"You handled it," said Hiei, reaching into his pocket for another pocky.

Then something else occurred to Kagome. "Hey! You saw him almost-- And you didn't do anything!" Hiei just gave her a blank stare. It wasn't like anything had actually happened. "You jerk!" she cried, and Hiei was so surprised at her action that he didn't think to dodge the slap that left a bright red mark on his right cheek. But his stupor didn't last for long.

In the blink of an eye, Kagome was lying on the floor with Hiei's weight pinning her down, his katana pressed to her throat once again. He glared at her in his fury.

"Don't _ever_ strike me again."

Kagome was in shock. She thought they'd progressed past the "threatening to kill" stage, but apparently she was wrong. A single tear spilled down her cheek, disappearing into the hair at her temple.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered. "Please."

The fear and sadness radiating off of her was threatening to choke Hiei. This wasn't what he wanted. He wasn't sure _exactly_ what he wanted with the girl, but he knew this wasn't it. _Idiot._ He quickly rolled off of her and sheathed his sword, and then he did something completely uncharacteristic of him:

He offered her a hand to help her stand.

Kagome knew that small gesture was meaningful, coming from the stoic and (quite possibly) sociopathic youkai, and it somewhat eased the hurt that his actions had caused. Kagome sniffled and took Hiei's hand, but she refused to look at him as he pulled her up off of the floor. A long day spent stirring poison paste over an open fire...very nearly being raped and murdered by a thief...killing a man...and now this. Suddenly, the events of the day overwhelmed Kagome, and she sank to the bed with her face in her hands, sobbing.

Hiei didn't know what to do. Did he really hurt her that much? As far as he could tell, he hadn't even broken the skin. So why was the girl crying? He was confused. Should he just leave? Not for the first time, he cursed his inability to read her mind.

"Girl? Are you hurt?" he asked gruffly.

"No," she sobbed.

"Why are you crying?"

"If you can't figure it out, I'm not going to tell you," she said between sniffles.

Hiei rolled his eyes in exasperation. _Humans._ He settled back in the open window, his back against the side of the frame, and gazed out at the shrine grounds.

Kagome looked up and sniffed. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Keeping watch," he said brusquely. "You are tired. You should sleep."

_He's staying...He's staying so I can sleep?_ Kagome wondered. She shuffled out of bed to turn off the lights, and then curled up on top of the duvet, not even bothering to turn down the sheets. _So tired..._ she thought. _Maybe everything will seem better in the morning._ With that thought, she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Hiei was nowhere to be seen when Kagome awoke to the buzzing of the alarm clock the next morning. She stretched and lay in bed for a moment, feeling surprisingly refreshed after one of the best nights of sleep she'd had in a long time. With Hiei there to dispel the threat of the saimyoushou showing up and spying on her family, she'd slept more deeply than she had in a week.

She thought back to the night before as she showered and prepared for school. She still felt justified in slapping him -- after all, he _had_ been spying on her, and didn't help her, right? -- but she could understand his instinctive reaction to the insult. _He probably isn't used to anyone touching him at all, let alone hitting him. I wonder how long it's been since anyone got close enough to slap him?_ she wondered, and was strangely sad at the thought.

Kagome realized that she'd made a mistake in treating Hiei like he was Inuyasha. It worked on some points -- the smiles, the kindnesses, the friendliness to a friendless one -- but she'd been reminded last night of just how different the two were. Inuyasha was alone, for sure, and had been for his entire life, but that was still only sixty-seven years, seventeen of which he was awake. Who knows how long Hiei had been alone? Was he the only youkai left alive? It was obvious to Kagome that Hiei took isolation to a whole new level. Inuyasha had Kikyou to break the ice before Kagome met him. Who did Hiei have? Anyone at all?

The school day flew by in a daze for Kagome, and before she knew it, she was stretching on the floor of the dojo once more, waiting for class to begin. From the other students' chatter, Kagome gathered that Minamino had been absent for the past two classes, and Kurabara had filled in for him. She was a bit surprised when Kurabara and Yuusuke both entered the dojo and went to speak with Minamino before class. For some reason, she got the feeling that her sifu was staring at her.

"Koenma wants answers," Yuusuke said as he approached Kurama. "He wants to see us all when the class is over."

"I don't have anything else to report," said Kurama. It wasn't exactly a lie. He wasn't sure what the information from Jinenji meant yet.

"Where's Hiei?" asked Kurabara. "Does he know anything?"

Kurama shook his head. "I don't know," he answered truthfully. "I haven't seen him in a while."

"Really? I thought you two were joined at the hip or something," said Kurabara. Yuusuke snickered at that mental image, and Kurama glared at him.

"Botan will have to find him," said Yuusuke. "Koenma is getting on my ass about this, and I'm not taking the heat by myself."

"Wait until after the private lesson," said Kurama. "I hope to get some answers from the girl tonight." Whether he would share those answers remained to be seen.

Yuusuke and Kurabara lounged in a couple of chairs near the entrance to the dojo while Kurama lead the class through the day's lesson. By the time class was over, Kagome was certain that Minamino had been giving her odd looks throughout the hour, and she grew nervous as the rest of the students left.

Kurama was growing impatient with Kurabara and Yuusuke. They didn't leave when the rest of the students did, and he didn't want to interrogate Kagome with them around. He wanted to know what she had to say before he gave them any information, and he also didn't think she'd be very forthcoming with the two of them hanging around.

'_Offer to take her to coffee after the lesson,_' Youko suggested. Kurama agreed; it was the best plan he could come up with at the moment, and he had to have answers tonight. Little did he know that the answers would come crashing down on him, and in a big way.

Kurama was showing Kagome a technique for dealing with two opponents when it happened. He'd asked Kurabara to help him demonstrate, and the two of them were launching a mock attack on Kagome when all hell broke loose. One minute, he was preparing to deliver a carefully placed sidekick...

...and the next thing Kurama knew, he was on the floor, staring up the length of an incredibly large sword at one pissed-off inu-hanyou.

To the rest of the people in the room, everything happened in the blink of an eye. A red blur shot in through the front door of the dojo, and suddenly Kurama was on the floor, being held at swordpoint by a young man wearing the strangest red clothes, his long silver hair accented by-- Wait, were those cat ears?

A second, black blur crossed the dojo floor an instant later, and Hiei materialized seemingly out of nowhere with his own katana pressed against the inu-hanyou's neck. All of this left the occupants of the dojo in shock, but what happened next blew their minds.

"Inuyasha! Hiei! Stop!" came a feminine cry. Everyone except Hiei turned to stare at the girl who was wringing her hands in frustration. When the youkai and the hanyou didn't back down, Kagome yelled, "Freeze! Sit!"

The hanyou came crashing down to the floor, and Hiei didn't move a muscle. He and Kagome were the only ones who knew what her command had done to him, and he was suddenly thankful that he didn't have to suffer the embarrassment that Inuyasha did.

"Oi! Wench! What did you do that for?" Inuyasha yelled from his place on the floor.

"Inuyasha no baka! Do you remember when I told you I was taking kung fu classes?" Kagome asked, her eyes lit up with anger.

"Uh...yeah?"

"That," she said, pointing at the redhead just now getting up from the floor, "is my instructor! Sit!" Inuyasha had been trying to stand when she activated the spell again, reacquainting him with the hardwood floor.

"And you!" she said, whirling on Hiei. "You knew he was just trying to protect me!"

"Yeah," said Inuyasha. "I thought they were attacking you!"

"Sit!" BAM! "I took care of that armed thief just fine yesterday! You don't think I can handle myself with two unarmed humans?"

"That," Inuyasha said, pointing at Kurama, "is not a human." Kurama sighed. He was getting tired of being referred to as 'that.'

"What do you mean?" asked Kagome.

"Uh, guys, sorry to interrupt here, but _WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON_?" shouted Yuusuke. He pointed an accusing finger at Kagome. "You know them? _Both_ of them?"

Kagome sighed and nodded. _This is so not good._ "They're...going to a costume party?" she said brightly, doubting that anyone would buy it.

Hiei snickered, and it was like something snapped. Suddenly Kurabara and Yuusuke were both nearly falling down laughing at the girl's pathetic attempt at an excuse. Inuyasha looked around in confusion.

"Wait, Kagome. How do you know him?" Inuyasha asked, pointing at Hiei. 

"Well...it's a long story," she said, adopting Hiei's abruptness for the moment.

Yuusuke frowned. "We're going to have to sort this all out. I especially want answers from _you_," he said, glaring at Hiei, "even if I have to beat them out of you."

"Ch."

"Leave him alone!" Once again, Kagome managed to surprise everyone in the room when she came to the fire apparition's defense. "He's done nothing wrong!"

Kurama stared at Hiei in confusion. _What's going on, Hiei? Why is she defending you? How does she know you?_ Hiei simply smirked in response.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha was cracking his knuckles and glaring at Yuusuke. "Why should I give you any answers, human?" he snarled.

Whatever Yuusuke was about to say was cut off when the door to the dojo suddenly flew open and a fierce wind whirled around them, forcing the humans to shield their eyes from the onslaught. When the wind settled, a lone, stooped figure stood in the doorway.

"Yo. Am I interrupting something?" The mocking feminine voice was familiar to Kagome and Inuyasha, but the aged woman standing in the doorway wasn't. Except for those eyes. Kagome could've sworn she'd seen those eyes somewhere before... She gasped.

"Kagura?"

Kagura smirked and gave a mock bow. "In the flesh, my dear miko. Have you missed me?"

"Like hell," said Inuyasha, drawing the Tessaiga. "What are you doing here? What the fuck happened to you?" The wind sorceress had aged since they'd last seen her, appearing now as a stooped and wrinkled old woman.

Kagura narrowed her eyes. "If you knew what I've been through to get to this point, you wouldn't ask such questions. I came to speak to the miko."

"Kagome?" Yuusuke asked, turning to the girl in question, who was fidgeting nervously with the hem of her shirt. "Do you know _this_ youkai, too?" It was all just too much.

"Um, yeah," she said sheepishly. _I sure am popular tonight,_ she thought.

"What do you have to say?" asked Inuyasha, keeping his sword poised to attack in case Kagura made a move to attack them. Her motives were unclear. He knew she didn't like being under Naraku's control, but she hadn't exactly endeared herself to him or his friends.

"I said I came to speak to the girl. _Alone,_" the wind youkai answered.

"Like hell you will!" shouted Inuyasha, but he stilled when Kagome placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Stay here, Inuyasha. I'm going to speak with Kagura," she said, and she walked toward the door.

"What? No!" cried Inuyasha.

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?" yelled Yuusuke. "She's youkai!"

Kagome scoffed at him. "Haven't you figured out that I know that by now?" she asked.

"I don't think it would be wise to go alone with her," said Kurama smoothly. "You don't know what she's capable of."

"On the contrary, I am intimately familiar with what Kagura can do. If she was here to kill me or steal the shards, she'd have plenty of opportunity while I was at school or asleep at home. I need to hear what she has to say," Kagome said, leaving no room in her tone for argument. "It could be important."

"Then at least take a weapon," Inuyasha begged. He knew that once she had her mind set, there was no arguing with her.

Suddenly, Hiei was at Kagome's side with her bag in hand. Kagome gave him a startled look and then pulled her wakizashi out of the backpack. Kagome unsheathed it and let her miko powers flow into the blade, in a not-so-subtle warning to Kagura should she try anything devious.

Kurama's eyes narrowed at the sudden surge of holy energy, and he slowly backed away from Kagome. '_Holy shit,_' whispered Youko. '_She's the real thing._'

"I won't be long," Kagome said to the roomful of confused onlookers. "Don't follow me, or Kagura will sense you," she added, giving Hiei a pointed look. He nodded, understanding what she wanted him to do.

"Smart girl," said Kagura. "Come with me." She and Kagome stepped outside, and Kagura produced her feather boat. She flew them to the top of a nearby building.

Back in the dojo, Inuyasha snarled in frustration and sheathed the Tessaiga. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited for Kagome to return, ignoring the curious looks he was getting from the others. Kurabara's confused voice broke the tension.

"Hey, where did Hiei go?"

* * *

"He's here, isn't he?" Kagome asked once they were settled on the rooftop. Kagura nodded, gazing out over the cityscape. "Did he come through the well?"

"The well? No, but he tried. He sent Kanna first, once he discovered that you were from the future. Then he tried the saimyoushou, and Kohaku, but none of them could get through."

"Where has he been? We haven't seen or heard anything about him for a year now," said Kagome. Kagura sighed, trying to remember. It had been so very long for her.

"After he expelled and then reabsorbed Musou, Naraku was incredibly weakened. He didn't have the power to maintain the barrier around the castle, so he fled Japan for two years, traveling up and down the continent," Kagura said, referring to continental Asia. "When he returned after two years, you had vanished, all of you. Even the little kitsune brat was gone."

Kagome frowned at that bit of information, but she determined not to think about the consequences of it until later. _Two years later, a year from now...something happened between now and then,_ she thought. Kagome was still confused, though.

"If you didn't come through the well, then how are you here now?" Kagome asked. Kagura snorted.

"Isn't it obvious?" she snapped. "The bastard waited."

_He...waited?_ thought Kagome. Then the full meaning of what Kagura was telling her finally sunk in. _Oh, shit. He waited five hundred years for me, and now he's planning to take the remaining shards._ She backed away from Kagura.

"Why are you telling me this?" Kagome asked, holding her wakizashi in front of her in a protective stance.

"Look at me," said Kagura. "Take a good look at what Naraku has done to me. I've been absorbed and detached so many times over the centuries that I've lost count. That bastard plays with my heart -- my actual _heart_ -- like it's a toy. I'm tired of being his favorite scapegoat, but the bastard won't even let me have peace in death. He won't let me die. So I came to warn you."

Kagome's eyes widened. This was all too much information for her to process. "Warn me about what?" she asked.

"Naraku has been watching you. He's waiting for you to find what he believes to be the final shards. Soon, you will return to the Sengoku Jidai and retrieve the shards from the ookami's legs, and that is when Naraku will attack. In this world."

Kagome's mind was reeling. _In this world? Oh, no. My family..._ "What if I don't take the shards from Kouga?" Kagome asked.

"You will. You already did. You just don't know it yet," said Kagura. "And if you don't do it when Naraku knows you were supposed to, he'll just take your family hostage and torture them until you do."

So Kouga had the last of the shards, him and Kohaku. _Oh, my god, Kohaku!_

"Kagura, what about Kohaku?" Kagome asked quickly.

"What about him?"

"When did-- I mean, how did--"

"He die?" asked Kagura, raising an eyebrow at the question. Kagome nodded. "He didn't."

Kagome gasped. "What do you mean, he didn't?"

"I mean just that, girl. Naraku has a certain need for a human servant at times, someone to cross into this world without raising suspicions, and Kohaku serves that purpose. The shard in his back has preserved his life, such as it is, for all these years."

"What do you mean, cross into this world?" asked Kagome.

Kagura laughed. "So you don't know, do you? You should ask those new friends of yours. They know all about it," Kagura said. "I have to get back now, before he realizes that I'm gone. I'm sure you can find your way down from here, miko."

"Wait, does he know about Hiei?" asked Kagome before the wind sorceress could leave.

"He knows about the investigators," Kagura replied cryptically before taking to the skies in her feather boat, before Kagome could ask her what she meant by that. Kagome dropped her sword and sank to her knees, overcome by the enormity of what she'd just learned. _Naraku. Naraku is here. Naraku is here in my time, and he's coming for me,_ she thought.

Kagome slowly stood and stumbled toward the fire escape that would lead her down to the street, but she suddenly found herself flying through the air, landing gently at the door to the dojo. She turned to find Hiei grasping her arm. He released her with a scowl.

"Humans are slow," he said by way of explanation.

"Why are you still here?" asked Kagome. "Yuusuke said he was going to beat you up!"

Hiei snorted and strolled into the dojo. Yuusuke and Kurabara quickly stood when they saw Hiei and Kagome enter. Inuyasha rushed up to Kagome.

"Well? What did she want?" he demanded. Kagome shook her head.

"I don't think this is the place to discuss it," she replied, looking at each of the dojo's occupants in turn. Yuusuke frowned and stepped forward.

"How did you get through the Kekkai barriers without us detecting you?" he asked Inuyasha. Inuyasha crossed his arms and glared at Yuusuke.

"Keh. Even if I knew what you were talking about, what makes you think I'd tell you?" he asked, cracking his knuckles. Kurama and Kurabara circled around behind the hanyou.

"You and the girl are going to have to come with us," said Yuusuke grimly. "Koenma wants answers."

"Wait!" cried Kagome. "What are you talking about? We don't know anything about any barriers. And who is Koenma?"

Yuusuke frowned. Was she lying? It was possible that she didn't know anything about Makai or the barriers, but the hanyou had to know.

"We're not going anywhere with you," said Inuyasha, inching his way to the right so he could stand protectively in front of Kagome. "If you know what's good for you, you'll call off your thugs and back the hell off."

'_Thugs?_' Youko snorted. 'We _are not "thugs."'_

Kurama decided to take control of the situation. Inuyasha obviously wasn't the one to reason with, so he turned to Kagome.

"Kagome, it must be obvious to you by now that I and my friends know about youkai. We need to know how you know Inuyasha and Hiei," Kurama coaxed.

Kagome desperately tried to grasp what was happening here. The men seemed intent on trapping her and Inuyasha, but they strangely ignored Hiei's presence. That didn't make sense, unless...

"Hiei," she said, suddenly turning to the silent fire apparition, "do you know these guys?"

Yuusuke looked sharply at Hiei. "What, you didn't tell her?" he asked.

Hiei folded his arms. "Ch."

Kagome's mind raced. She looked to Inuyasha, whose confusion was written all over his face. He didn't know what was going on either. She glanced back at Kurama, whose face was set in grim determination. He obviously wasn't what she thought he was, if Inuyasha was right about him not being human. Yuusuke and Kurabara, she barely knew those two. That left Hiei. Hiei, who apparently knew these guys and also knew all about her life. It was obvious that he hadn't told them anything about her. She turned to him with desperation in her eyes.

"Hiei? Can I trust them?" she asked. She still wasn't sure she could completely trust the dark youkai, but he was the only one she could turn to at the moment. Hiei's eyes flicked to Yuusuke, Kurabara, and Kurama, and back to Kagome. He stared at her, and Kagome felt a strong nudge in the back of her mind. She relaxed her mental defenses a bit, and heard Hiei's emotionless voice in her mind.

'_**They do not work for Naraku. They do not know about the jewel**_.'

'_Will they hurt me? Or Inuyasha?_' she asked, assuming he could hear her thoughts.

'_**Not you. Inuyasha, perhaps,**_' he answered truthfully.

Kagome raised her mental defenses again before turning to Yuusuke. "You have to promise not to hurt Inuyasha," she said.

"What the hell? Like that human could hurt me!" scoffed Inuyasha, but Kagome shushed him.

"There's more to them than meets the eye," said Kagome, looking over the men who surrounded her and Inuyasha. "If they are as powerful as I suspect, we're going to need their help."

"What are you talking about? We've done just fine with Sango and Miroku until now!"

"You don't know what Kagura told me, Inuyasha," she said, shaking her head. "It changes everything." She turned to Yuusuke again. "So do I have your word not to harm or detain Inuyasha in any way?"

"I can't promise that," said Yuusuke, and Inuyasha drew the Tessaiga again. Yuusuke and Kurabara backed away when the sword transformed once more.

"Get behind me, Kagome," said Inuyasha, never taking his eyes from his opponents. "I'll blast our way out of here if I have to." Kagome turned pleading eyes toward Hiei, who signed in exasperation.

'_**The hanyou did not escape from Makai,**_' he told Kurama.

'_What do you mean? How did he escape Reikai's notice if he's been here all this time?_' Kurama asked in surprise.

'_**Give the girl what she wants, and she will tell you,**_' Hiei said.

Kurama frowned. Hiei obviously knew what was going on with Kagome and Inuyasha, and while he didn't like being left in the dark -- no, not at all -- he'd either have to trust Hiei or the situation would escalate. He eyed the hanyou with the oversized sword. '_No doubt he could do some serious damage with that thing,_' he thought.

'_**You have no idea,**_' said Hiei, who had witnessed Inuyasha's practice with the Kaze no Kizu while he was in the Sengoku Jidai.

Kurama sighed and nodded to Kagome. "He will not be harmed or detained. I give you my word," he said, much to Yuusuke's consternation.

"You can't do that!" he yelled.

Kurama glared at the spirit detective. "Do you really want him to level a few buildings with that thing?" he asked, gesturing at the sword. "And don't forget that the girl is a miko. I don't relish the thought of being purified. Do you?"

Yuusuke scowled. He had to admit that the kitsune's logic was sound, but since when did they start giving in to such demands? He shook his head slowly. This was not going well. Maybe if he explained things a bit, the girl and the hanyou would be more cooperative. He could at least gauge their reaction to see whether they were up to no good.

"We -- Kurabara, Kurama, Hiei, and I -- are employed by Reikai to track down youkai who cause trouble or escape into Ningenkai. Our boss, Koenma, will have to see you to determine what Inuyasha is doing here and what to do about it."

Kagome was confused. _Spirit World? Human World? What is he talking about?_ she wondered. _If he's telling the truth, they might prove to be valuable allies._ She lowered her mental barrier again and looked at Hiei.

'_Is he telling the truth?_' she asked, hoping the mental connection went both ways.

'_**Yes,**_' Hiei replied.

'_Will they hurt Inuyasha, or send him away?_' she asked.

'_**I do not know. Perhaps not, in light of the information Kagura gave you,**_' Hiei replied. Kagome nodded and turned to Yuusuke.

"If you find out that Inuyasha isn't up to any trouble, and that it's very important to the welfare of this world that he remain free, will you let him go?" she asked.

Yuusuke considered this. _Something big is going on here,_ he thought. Finally, he nodded to Kagome. "You have my word," he said.

"All right, then. Where do we meet this Koenma?" Kagome asked.

While Yuusuke pulled out a communicator to summon Botan, Inuyasha turned his wrath on Kagome.

"Kagome! You can't agree to that! We don't know these people!" yelled Inuyasha. Kagome glared at him.

"Inuyasha no baka!" she yelled, stomping her foot. "If you hadn't come barging in her like that, none of this would have happened! Why are you here anyway?"

Inuyasha sheathed the Tessaiga and crossed his arms. "Feh. That wimpy wolf showed up in the village today. He says he won't leave until he talks to you."

* * *

"Yuusuke!" Botan chirped merrily as she popped into the dojo on her floating oar. "You're ready to give your report to..." She trailed off when she saw two unexpected faces in the dojo. "Who are they?" she asked Yuusuke.

"The miko Kagome and the hanyou Inuyasha," Yuusuke said, gesturing to the curious girl and the impatient hanyou. "We're taking them to see Koenma."

"What are you?" Inuyasha asked the blue-haired girl rudely. She didn't smell like a youkai, but with that blue hair, and the floating...

"I'm Botan!" she said merrily, as though that explained everything.

"She's death," explained Yuusuke, only furthering Inuyasha and Kagome's confusion.

"Now, Yuusuke," said Botan, shaking a finger at him, "don't scare them like that!" She turned to the girl and the hanyou. "I ferry the souls of the dead to the afterlife," she explained. Kagome and Inuyasha nodded, both thinking, _Well, I've seen stranger things._

"If you'll step right this way," Botan said, opening a portal to Reikai, "we'll go and see Koenma-sama!" Kurabara went through first, and Inuyasha and Kagome hesitated for a moment before following him. Botan and the remaining Reikai Tantei went through behind them, and the portal closed.

Whatever Inuyasha and Kagome were expecting Reikai to be like, this wasn't it. The room they entered reminded Kagome of a doctor's waiting room. Upholstered wooden chairs lined the walls, and a couple of magazine racks displayed pamphlets with titles such as, "So You're Dead. Now What?" and "Reincarnation and You: What You Need to Know." Something that sounded suspiciously like Muzak was being piped into the room, and there was a water cooler in the corner. Kagome sat down in one of the chairs and started to leaf through a magazine called _Spirit Digest: What's Worth Reading in the Three Worlds._

"When did this happen?" Yuusuke asked Botan, referring to the waiting room. Botan shrugged.

"Some doctor who was processed for reincarnation last week suggested Koenma needed a waiting room after she had to stand in the hall for an hour while Koenma yelled at an ogre for losing some paperwork," she explained.

Inuyasha could feel the hair on his arms standing on end. He didn't like this place, not one bit. It felt...off, and it smelled like...well, like nothing. He stood protectively in front of Kagome's chair until she nudged him out of the way with her foot, and then he paced the room. Kurabara and Kurama both sat down to wait, while Yuusuke and Hiei both stood.

"Does he know we're here?" Yuusuke snapped at Botan after half an hour had passed.

"He had an important visitor before I left, someone from Makai," Botan told him. "He's probably still in there with him." Another half hour passed, and Kagome was caught up in an article about Makai politics when the door to Koenma's office burst open and a harried-looking blue ogre stepped into the waiting room.

"Koenma-sama will see you now," the ogre said, and Kagome took a deep breath before standing and following the guys into Koenma's office.

Kagome and Inuyasha were surprised to see what looked like a teenaged boy sitting behind a desk when they entered the room. He didn't look up when they entered, as he was searching through a drawer in his desk, muttering something about youkai with too much power for their own good. Kurama coughed politely to get the prince's attention, and he stood when he saw the two unfamiliar faces.

"Yuusuke? Is this the taijiya girl?" Koenma asked. Inuyasha snorted and Kagome glared at him.

"This is Kagome," Yuusuke said, and Kagome bowed deeply. Yuusuke jerked his thumb toward the hanyou. "His name is Inuyasha. Apparently these two know each other, but I didn't get anything else out of them."

"Inuyasha, you say?" Koenma asked, giving the hanyou an appraising look. "Your father was quite a troublemaker back in the times before the barrier. I wasn't aware that you had survived to enter Makai."

Inuyasha didn't understand what the guy was talking about, so he settled for a "Keh!" in reply.

"Hiei says that Inuyasha isn't from Makai," said Kurama, earning a surprised gasp from Botan and a curious look from Koenma.

"Then you've been in Ningenkai all these years? That will not do at all," said Koenma, frowning.

"You're not sending me anywhere I don't want to go," replied Inuyasha, growling.

"Then what are you doing in Ningenkai? And how does the girl know the art of the taijiya?" Koenma asked.

'_**He won't get any answers from the inu,**_' Hiei told Kurama. '_**He needs to ask the girl.**_' Kurama was surprised at Hiei's sudden helpfulness, but he decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"I believe that questioning the girl would be more fortuitous," Kurama told Koenma smoothly. The prince turned his attention to the nervous-looking girl. She bowed toward him again.

"I'll tell you my story, Koenma-sama," she said politely, "but I beg you, don't hurt Inuyasha or send him away." During her wait earlier, she'd gathered from the magazine she'd read that youkai had been banished to another, separate realm centuries ago, and that they weren't supposed to cross into the human realm. If Inuyasha was sent to Makai, her mission would be doomed.

Koenma started to refuse her request when Yuusuke spoke up. "Listen to the girl's story," he said. "Something tells me it's very important."

"I'll refrain from making a decision until I've heard your story," Koenma told Kagome.

"Could I have a chair, if you please? It's a long story," she said. Koenma yelled for the ogre, George, to bring in a few chairs from the waiting room. Once they were all settled, with Hiei still standing and Inuyasha looking very uncomfortable in his chair, Kagome began.

"It all started on my fifteenth birthday. My brother Souta was in the wellhouse at our shrine..." She gave them a shorter version of her story than she'd told Hiei, keeping the details to a minimum. She told them about Kikyou, Naraku, and Inuyasha; about Shippou, Miroku, and Sango. Even with the shortened version, Kagome's tale took a couple of hours to tell, and by the time she finished telling them about Musou, she was quite thirsty.

"Wow," said Yuusuke in awe when she stopped talking after the Musou story.

'_You already knew all of this,_' Kurama accused Hiei.

'_**Ch**_.'

"There's more," Kagome said, "but could I please have something to drink first? I'm pretty thirsty." The ogre brought her a cup of water from the cooler in the waiting room, and as she sipped, Yuusuke remembered that she'd already known Hiei.

"How do you know Hiei?" Yuusuke suddenly asked, and Kagome sent the dark youkai a panicked look. She got the feeling that he wasn't supposed to have contacted her. Hiei didn't look at her, instead staring blankly across the room.

"He found me when I came out of the well about a week ago," she answered truthfully.

"And?" prompted Yuusuke.

"He wanted to know where the portal went, so I told him."

"You told him everything?" asked Yuusuke incredulously. Hiei wasn't known for his 'people skills,' and Yuusuke had a hard time believing that the girl, who'd been so tight-lipped, had opened up to the broody fire apparition.

"Yes," said Kagome, nodding.

"How did he know who Inuyasha was?" asked Kurama. Back in the dojo, Kagome had indicated that Hiei knew the hanyou, but Inuyasha hadn't seemed to recognize Hiei. Since Hiei wasn't answering any of Kurama's questions about it, he decided to ask the girl.

"Um, well, I kinda took him through the well with me this weekend," Kagome said sheepishly.

"You did WHAT?" Inuyasha yelled, jumping out of his chair. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"He didn't cause any trouble," Kagome mumbled, looking down at her hands in her lap.

"Bitch, you are in so much trouble," Inuyasha said, practically shaking with rage. How could she hide something like this from him? It wasn't like Kagome at all.

Everyone was surprised at the low growl coming from Hiei, but he quickly quieted himself after drawing everyone's attention. _Why do I care what the hanyou calls her?_ he thought. _And why isn't she telling them that I threatened her?_

Koenma pounded his fist on his desk, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "You went through an unregistered portal without my permission, Hiei? What were you thinking?"

Hiei glared at Koenma. He hated it when he had to answer questions that required more than a one-word answer. "You told me to follow her." He was unprepared for Kagome's hurt expression at his words, but he tried to shrug it off.

"I will deal with you later," said Koenma. "For now, Kagome, you said you had more to say?"

Kagome nodded and set her cup on the floor beside her. "The youkai who spoke with me tonight was the same Kagura I told you about, the detachment of Naraku. She came to warn me that Naraku is here, in my time, and that he plans to attack me in Tokyo once I've found the last of the shards in the Sengoku Jidai. He's been waiting five hundred years for this, probably growing in strength and gathering more followers," she speculated.

Inuyasha was floored. _So that's why she looked so old,_ he thought.

Kagome continued. "She said that Kohaku was still alive, serving Naraku when he needs a human to cross into Ningenkai. I assume that means that Naraku is hiding somewhere in Makai."

"Why would he wait five hundred years to take the shards from you?" Koenma asked.

"She said that after he reabsorbed Musou, Naraku was weakened, so he fled Japan for the continent, and when they returned two years later, we were all gone." She looked sadly at Inuyasha. "Everyone."

"It's been a year since you last saw Naraku in the Sengoku Jidai, correct?" asked Kurama.

"Yes," said Kagome. "That means that something happened, or will happen, to make myself and my friends disappear from the past in the next year."

"What if we brought everyone to your era to fight Naraku?" asked Inuyasha hopefully.

"But that doesn't make sense, does it? We were gone from the past when Naraku returned because we left to fight his future self, who didn't take the shards from us in the past because we weren't there?"

"Time travel paradoxes are complex," said Koenma. "That's why we destroyed all of the known portals and quashed all knowledge of time travel centuries ago. How the well at your shrine escaped our attention is beyond me."

"Oh, no!" Kagome cried suddenly, turning to Inuyasha. "If Naraku didn't die in the past, that means that Miroku-- Miroku--"

Inuyasha patted the distraught girl on the back. "It's okay, Kagome. We'll bring Miroku and the others to your era with us, and just defeat Naraku here."

"Ahem," said Koenma. "Not without a permit, you won't. This unsupervised time travel has gone on too long as it is. Who knows what kind of disruptions your actions have caused in the timelines? But if you'd fill out the proper paperwork," he said, motioning to a two-meter-tall stack of papers that suddenly appeared on his desk, "then I can have someone do a risk analysis, and maybe then I'd permit your friends to pass through."

Kagome clasped her hands and lowered her eyes. "Koenma-sama, please, you've got to understand. I can't go forward in my quest without my companions."

Koenma frowned. If push came to shove, he'd have a hard time denying this girl anything; after all, occasions where he was offered the respect he so _clearly_ deserved were precious and few. "There are rules," he said quietly. "I can't go around making an exception every time the whim strikes me. The rules are in place for a reason."

"And I'm asking you nicely to make an exception, just this once. Without my friends, I can't go forward; I _won't_."

Koenma's frown deepened. "Don't bluff with me. If what you're saying is true, you'd be throwing all of Ningenkai at the mercy of this Naraku."

"For my friends, Koenma-sama, I would sacrifice everything." Koenma shivered at the hard look on Kagome's face. _Would she really refuse to help us?_ "Besides," Kagome continued, "the time portal's very existence is a problem created by Reikai, and it's up to Reikai to set things right. Without the portal, the jewel never would have landed back in the Sengoku Jidai, and Sango, Miroku, and Shippou wouldn't be in this mess."

"All right, all right. I'll grant a one-time exception for your three friends. But no more!" Koenma's statement drew a delighted squeal from Kagome, and he found himself on the receiving end of a very enthusiastic hug from the girl.

"Thank you so much, Koenma-sama! I knew you were a good guy!" The Reikai Tantei rolled their eyes at that statement. Koenma was such a pushover.

"Do you really think they'll want to come back here with us, Kagome?" asked Inuyasha.

"I think so. Miroku will die if Naraku lives, and Sango would give anything for her brother. And Shippou...I don't want to think about what he'd do without us."

"Now that that's settled," said Koenma, "we have much to do. Kagome, you said that Naraku would come for you when you'd collected the last shards. Do you know where they are?"

"Yes," she said softly. "Kouga has the last of the shards. He's waiting for me in the village."

"You'll have to wait until we've got a plan put in place before you go back to retrieve them. If Naraku attacks you at the shrine as soon as you return, too many innocent lives will be at stake."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" said Inuyasha. "Let's get planning."

_Edited 17 May 2005_


	7. Youko Kurama, aka Minamino Suuichi

**Title:** Paradox

**Author:** Somnambulicious

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer:**  
I don't own either  
_Inuyasha_ or _YuYu_;  
Somebody else does.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Youko Kurama, aka Minamino Shuichi**.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Inuyasha. "Let's get planning."

Kagome gave Inuyasha a grateful look. He'd come such a long way in the past few years. In the beginning, his "plans" usually consisted of two steps: 1. Find Naraku; 2. Kill Naraku. Apparently he'd learned a few things about strategy in their ongoing struggle with the evil hanyou.

"First things first," said Koenma. "Kagome, you said that you usually go to the Sengoku Jidai on Friday nights and stay until Sunday evening, correct?"

"Yeah, for the past six months or so, that's been my routine. I've been trying to concentrate more on school, since we haven't been able to find Naraku or very many shards lately."

Koenma nodded. "You will maintain that routine until we're ready to fight Naraku. If you go back right now, it will tip him off that something is going on, and we don't want him to know that you've found the last of the shards. You will not bring your friends through either, until we're ready to show our hand."

"But that stupid wolf won't leave the village until she comes," said Inuyasha. "And Naraku is bound to know that something's going on, since I came through to get Kagome today."

"That's easy to take care of," said Kagome. "We'll find a saimyoushou, and have a big discussion in front of it about how you ran out of ramen. I'll send you back with a bagful."

"Well, the ramen is okay with me, but what about that wolf? I don't want him around stinkin' up the place until you get back," said Inuyasha.

"You're just going to have to put up with it. If you send him away, who knows how long it will take for us to find him?"

"Keh. I can smell those stinkin' wolves from halfway across Japan. It's not that hard to find them."

"You could just tell him what's going on," suggested Kurabara.

"No," said Koenma, "the less people know about this, the better. We can't take the chance of tipping Naraku off, either now or in the past."

"Perhaps you could let it slip that you've heard a rumor about Naraku's location," said Kurama. "That would get rid of him for a while, and you would know where he is as well."

"Okay, but if he doesn't leave, I'm not responsible for my actions," said Inuyasha, crossing his arms.

"So that's settled. Next order of business, we need to find out Naraku's location. Kagura's information leads us to believe that he is hiding in Makai. Do you have any reason to distrust her?" asked Koenma.

"No. She hates Naraku even more than I do, and she'd do anything to get rid of him," said Kagome.

"I received information today about some rather unusual disturbances in Makai that could be related to Naraku. Youkai in some of the lower levels have been disappearing at an alarming rate, and from what you told me about Naraku's power to absorb youkai, it could be that he is gathering his strength for the final battle," said Koenma. "I will send a team to Makai to investigate these rumors and attempt to find Naraku, but not engage him. This mission will be reconnaissance only.

"We can't leave Kagome without some protection, though," said Yuusuke. "With Inuyasha going back to the past, that means it will have to be one of us."

"Hiei, since you've been doing such an _exemplary_ job at keeping up with this young woman," Koenma said, glowering at the fire apparition, "you will continue to shadow her. Dispose of any saimyoushou you come across, but do not allow them to see you."

"Ch."

"Yuusuke, you, Kurabara, and Kurama will leave for Makai tomorrow. That will give you plenty of time to pack and prepare for your trip. You will return to report to me by Thursday night, whether you find anything or not."

"That will mean that I have to abandon my kung fu classes. Kagura said that Naraku was aware of the 'investigators.' If Naraku is spying on Kagome, surely my absence would tip him off that something is wrong," said Kurama.

"That is a problem," said Koenma. "I don't like sending Yuusuke and Kurabara into Makai without a youkai escort." He pondered the problem for a moment before he came to a solution. "Ogre! Get in here now!" The blue ogre shuffled into Koenma's office.

"Yes, Koenma-sama?" he asked.

"Ogre, you know how you're always complaining about having to do so much paperwork?" Koenma asked with an evil glint in his eyes.

"Uh...yeah?" The ogre wasn't sure what was going on, but he had a feeling he wasn't going to like it.

"Well, here's the opportunity of a lifetime! You're going to be escorting Yuusuke and Kurabara on a recon mission in Makai!"

"But...but..but I'm just a bureaucrat!" he stuttered. "You can't send me to Makai with them!"

"We don't need _his_ help, Koenma! We can handle ourselves just fine!" said Yuusuke indignantly. _Being stuck in Makai with those two idiots is more dangerous than going by myself!_

"Ogre, can you pick up the scent of the wind user's youki off of Kagome?" Koenma asked, ignoring Yuusuke's outburst.

The blue ogre leaned toward Kagome and sniffed the air thoughtfully. He looked to Koenma and nodded. The scent was faint, but it was unmistakable. Something about it sent shivers down his spine.

"Good. Yuusuke, Kurabara, and the ogre will go on the recon mission to Makai. Hiei will follow Kagome, who will maintain her current schedule. Inuyasha will return to the Sengoku Jidai with extra ramen. Kurama will maintain his current schedule as well, and be ready for Hiei to contact you in case of an emergency." Koenma leaned back in his chair and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "We're going to have to discuss this Naraku and come up with a plan of action for our confrontation." He took a look around the room. Kurabara was half asleep in his chair, and Yuusuke was yawning. Everyone looked tired, with the exception of Hiei. "But I suppose it can wait until Thursday. You're all dismissed."

* * *

Botan's portal led the group back to the dojo. Kurabara left immediately to pack and write a letter, as he said, to his 'beloved Yukina.' Yuusuke went home, preparing himself for the worst when Keiko found out he was going on another mission to Makai. Kagome and Inuyasha walked back to the shrine, with Inuyasha's ears covered by a bandana. Hiei followed them in the shadows.

'_**There is a saimyoushou waiting for you at the shrine,**_' Hiei informed Kagome. She nodded and gave Inuyasha a thumbs-up sign, which he understood.

"What are you doing here, Inuyasha? I told you I wasn't going back until Friday!" Kagome yelled once they had reached the shrine.

"Feh! You forgot to leave enough ramen, wench! I'm hungry!" Inuyasha yelled back.

"Fine! I've got some extra in the kitchen, if it'll get you to leave!" Kagome and Inuyasha made a big show of bickering as they procured the ramen and walked to the well house.

"Don't be late on Friday! We've still got shards to find, and Naraku's still missing," said Inuyasha.

"Am I ever late, Inuyasha? I'll see you Friday. Take care." Kagome watched as Inuyasha left through the well, and then went back to the house. With that taken care of, Hiei surreptitiously cut the spying saimyoushou clean in half before taking his perch on Kagome's windowsill.

Kagome ignored the fire apparition as she gathered her school books and laid out the next day's clothes. She was still miffed at him for not telling her about Reikai, and, to tell the truth, a little hurt to think that he'd only been following her because he'd been ordered to. _Why do I care?_ Kagome wondered. _It's not like he's been nice to me, anyway._

For once in his life, Hiei was uncomfortable with the silence. The girl was obviously upset with him, but for what reason? Hiei thought back to the pained look she'd given him when she'd heard that he'd been ordered to follow her. Why did that bother her so much?

During their mental conversations that evening, Kagome had lowered her mental defenses a bit, and it was enough for him to catch a few stray thoughts and emotions from her. He'd picked up on her worry for Inuyasha and the panic she'd felt when the hanyou was threatened. That was to be expected, as were her feelings of general confusion and anger. But what had surprised Hiei were the emotions he picked up when she thought about him. There was fear for his own welfare, and then a bitter wave of betrayal and pain. When he thought about it, it wasn't too unexpected for her to react that way, he reasoned. But he couldn't reason away the underlying feelings of warmth and friendship the girl held for him.

What on earth possessed the girl to actually _like_ him? He was youkai, dangerous and unkind. He certainly hadn't tried to endear himself to the girl, but she held onto those strange emotions nonetheless.

And then there was that unwanted surge of protectiveness he'd felt toward her when the hanyou had called her a bitch. He'd even growled out loud. What was he thinking? She was a human, and his complete opposite. He had no reason to care for the girl. And yet, here he was, troubled over the silent treatment she was giving him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kagome finally asked softly. She had turned out the lights and snuggled down into her bed, but sleep eluded her. She just had to ask him.

'**_It did not matter,_**' he answered. It was the truth, somewhat at least. He didn't really care what Koenma wanted of him, and while he followed Kagome out of duty at first, what had happened in the past week was entirely his own will.

"I just feel so silly," Kagome confessed. "Here I was, trying make some friends in my own time, and I come to find out that they were just doing their _jobs_. Silly me."

_Friends?_ Hiei wondered. He didn't have time to ponder that before Kagome continued.

"All I've gained are more protectors. I wanted to train with Sango so I could defend myself, but now I've got protection around the clock!" She was sounding less self-pitying and more angry now. "Am I really so weak that I have to have a 24/7 bodyguard?"

Hiei shifted on the windowsill and thought carefully before he responded to her.

'**_You are not weak,_**' he told her decidedly. '_**Your power lies in drawing people to you, both human and youkai. You have gathered the strongest of allies to yourself. You wield your friendships like a powerful weapon. Do not underestimate it.**_'

Kagome was surprised at his lengthy answer. _I never thought about it that way before. I guess he's right._

'**_I do not stay because Koenma ordered me to,_**' Hiei added unexpectedly. He didn't stop to wonder why he was telling her this, or what he was thinking.

"What?" asked Kagome.

'**_I could care less what the Reikai brat tells me to do. I am here because I wish to be._**' Hiei's confession surprised himself. He hadn't known he felt that way until he told her. _What is it about this girl, this Kagome, that makes me forget myself so easily?_

"Why?" Kagome whispered. Hiei didn't answer, because he wasn't sure of that himself.

* * *

After the private lesson the next evening, Kurama suggested to Kagome that she join him for dinner in his apartment, away from prying eyes and ears. Kagome agreed. There was so much she wanted to ask him. She and Kurama both tried to coax Hiei into joining them, but to Kagome's disappointment and Kurama's relief, the fire apparition didn't answer them.

"What did Hiei threaten you with to get you to tell him your story?" Kurama asked once the two of them had sat down for dinner. Kagome frowned down at her rice. She'd learned a thing or two from Hiei over the past week about misdirection, so she decided to try it out on Kurama. Instead of answering his question, she asked her own.

"What did Inuyasha mean when he said you weren't human?" Kagome asked.

'_Oh, ho, what have we here?_' Youko was amused. '_Sounds like a challenge to me. This could be fun._' It had been a long time since someone had evaded an interrogation from the kitsune avatar, even longer since a female had done it. They usually melted in the presence of the seductive fox. '_Give her a little information. Make her feel like she's won something. Then we'll get our answers._'

"What do you know about kitsune avatars?" Kurama asked her. Kagome thought back to the stories Shippou had told her.

"Kitsune are capable of possessing humans. It's a power called 'kitsune seduction.' An avatar is a human body that a kitsune spirit possesses at birth. Eventually, the kitsune will eat away at the human's soul and completely overtake the body," she answered.

Kurama nodded. "That's mostly true. I am a kitsune avatar, a human body possessing the spirit of a kitsune and the soul of a human. Contrary to most legends, we coexist peacefully in this body," _for the most part, anyway._

"Is that why everyone calls you Kurama, instead of Minamino?"

"Yes. The kitsune part of me is Youko Kurama, a 400-year-old kitsune. My friends prefer to refer to us as Kurama instead of by our human name." That seemed to satisfy Kagome, so Kurama decided it was her turn to give some answers. "Did Hiei threaten you? Is that why you told him your story?"

Kagome sighed. It looked like Kurama wasn't going to let go of it. "He did at first," Kagome admitted, thinking back to their initial confrontation at the well. "But I told him the whole story because I wanted to."

"You wanted to? Why?" It didn't make sense at all. Youko found it hard to believe that the girl had resisted Kurama's questions and given in to Hiei's.

"I guess I was a little lonely," Kagome confessed with a shrug. "My family are the only people on this side of the well who know about my adventures, and I haven't even told them everything. They don't know how dangerous my life really is, because I don't want to worry them. Talking to Hiei, it just felt so...cleansing. Once I started talking, I just couldn't stop."

"Why did you take him through the well with you?" Kurama asked.

Kagome shook her head. "No, it's your turn to answer a question. Koenma referred to me as a taijiya. How did he know?"

"Youko recognized your fighting style as taijiya, and we knew that the form died out three hundred years ago. We were investigating you on our own because you piqued our curiosity, but Koenma found out and sent the rest of the detectives to investigate you."

"Then Hiei was just doing his job, following me," Kagome said. Kurama could have sworn she sounded disappointed.

"Partly, yes. But I've never seen him follow Koenma's orders to the letter like he did with you. Do you know why?"

"I'm not sure. He hasn't exactly poured his heart and soul out to me," Kagome said wryly. For some reason, that made Kurama feel better. Hiei had been avoiding him ever since Kagome had entered the picture, and some small part of him was jealous. He'd been Hiei's only friend for so long.

"Next question. Why did you take him through the well with you?" Kurama asked again.

"He swore to me that he wouldn't hurt my friends or kill any humans while he was there. I didn't see any reason not to," she said, avoiding mention of Hiei's disturbing threat on the matter. She figured Hiei was probably nearby eavesdropping, and she didn't want to lose what little trust she'd earned from him by ratting him out.

Kurama got the feeling that she wasn't telling him the whole truth, but he decided not to pursue the matter for now. '_You have to be slow and gentle with this. She'll get skittish if it turns into an interrogation,_' Youko said.

"How well do you know Hiei?" Kurama asked.

"Not well," she confessed. "I know he's a killer. I can see it in his eyes. He is more alone than anyone I've ever met before. But there's something about him... He's done horrible things in the past, I can feel it, but he's not entirely irredeemable. But beyond that, I know next to nothing about him. He won't even tell me what kind of youkai he is," she said sadly. "I picked up on something when I tried to feel him out with my ki, strong opposing forces in his nature, but that's all I could find out."

Kurama kicked up an eyebrow at that. '_The fact that she managed to figure that much out...she's far more powerful than she realizes._' He was somewhat glad that the fire apparition had found someone who would look past his brusque exterior and try to befriend him, but that didn't dispel Youko's consternation that Hiei had taken _his_ puzzle and run with it. Kitsune were nothing if not extremely possessive, and in Youko's mind, he had laid claim to the girl first.

Kurama watched Kagome as she cleared away the dishes for him. '_You have to admit that she's attractive,_' said Youko. '_And powerful. And limber._'

'_And a miko,_' Kurama reminded him. '_As I said earlier, do you really want to be purified that bad?_'

'_Ah, but the danger makes her so much more alluring. Don't you want to know what she tastes like? Can you imagine the thrill, delving into a delicious morsel like her, knowing that she could kill us at any given moment?_' Youko was practically purring as he indulged in one of his favorite fantasies, and Kurama felt the heat rise in his cheeks.

'_But I don't want to use her like that,_' he protested. '_I don't feel for her the way she'd want a lover to, and I doubt she'd give herself up for a one-night stand_.'

'_You underestimate my virility if you think that what we would do with her would only take one night,_' said Youko.

Kurama ignored that comment and continued. '_And I know what we would do to a lover. I'm not going to allow you to drain her._' It was the main reason Kurama had never taken a lover. Someone had once likened kitsune to spirit vampires, and the comparison was valid. When they took lovers, kitsune would feed on their spirit energy, often leaving the unfortunate humans completely drained and spiritually dead.

'_But she's got such a large soul,_' Youko reminded him. '_We would only take just a little bit. Don't you wonder what it would feel like, to feed on one such as her?_'

'_She won't give herself to us_.'

'_Is that a challenge?_' Youko asked.

'_I really don't want to suffer the embarrassment of failure,_' said Kurama.

'_Trust me. She will be like putty in our hands_.'

* * *

When she finished putting the dishes away, Kagome wasn't sure what she should be doing. She couldn't think of anymore questions for Kurama, but he was strangely silent, still sitting at the dining table. With nothing else to do, Kagome sat back down across from her silent host and waited for him to say something.

"I should probably be getting home," she finally said. "I called my mother and told her I was going to dinner with a friend, but she'll be expecting me soon."

Kurama broke out of his internal conversation when Kagome spoke up. "Hm? Oh, yes, that would be wise. I will escort you home, if you like." Kagome would have to take a short bus ride to get back to the shrine.

"I'm sure Hiei will be following me," said Kagome. "You don't have to trouble yourself."

"It's no trouble at all, Kagome. It will be my pleasure." The way he said her name sent shivers down Kagome's spine.

"Oh, okay. Let me get my purse, and we'll get going."

Hiei watched the exchange through the window, as he'd been doing for the entire evening. It was obvious that the fox was up to something, but what? He couldn't actually be trying to seduce the girl...could he? For some reason, the thought left a bitter taste in Hiei's mouth. He followed the girl and the fox at a distance, keeping his presence hidden.

Kurama avoided any mention of the Sengoku Jidai or Reikai on the way to the shrine. Instead, he commented on the weather and inquired about Kagome's school work and grades. Kagome was grateful for some semblance of normal conversation, even if it was with a kitsune hiding in a human's body.

When they reached the shrine steps, Kagome turned to Kurama and smiled. "This is it," she said, gesturing to shrine. "I guess I'll let you go now."

Kurama didn't say anything. Instead, he smiled softly and reached up to push a stray tendril of Kagome's hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering there for a moment. Kagome was lost in those emerald green eyes gazing down at her, with something unfamiliar darkening his expression. _What is he doing?_ she wondered.

It was at that moment that Hiei decided to make his presence known. He seemed to materialize right next to Kagome, his arms crossed and his expression unreadable.

"I'll take it from here, fox," Hiei said. Kurama stepped away from Kagome and a brief look of annoyance crossed his face. _He did that on purpose?_

"Goodnight, Kurama, and thanks for dinner! I'll see you tomorrow in class!" called Kagome as she walked up the steps. Kurama stayed and watched until she and Hiei disappeared from sight into the shrine grounds.

'_Why would he stop us?_' Kurama wondered.

'_Perhaps he's taken a fancy to her,_' Youko suggested.

'_Hiei? You actually think _Hiei_ likes a girl? Don't be ridiculous. Hiei never likes anyone_.'

Youko shrugged in Kurama's mind. '_There are more things in Heaven and--_'

'_Oh, shut up_.'

* * *

Hiei waited in the tree branches for Kagome to open her window so he could sit on the windowsill for the night, as that had become the routine. It wasn't really necessary for him to be so close to her to keep watch, but he felt calmer in her presence, and she didn't seem to mind.

After she'd brushed her teeth and changed into her pajamas, Kagome opened the window for Hiei. Her mother and grandfather had been a little suspicious lately, since she'd been retiring to her room earlier than usual at night, but she told them that she spent a few hours studying every night before going to sleep. They still didn't know about Hiei, and he was careful to mask his presence from them. Kagome didn't want her family to know about Naraku's threat to the modern era, and she hadn't told them about Reikai. _No use in worrying them with something they can't do anything about,_ she reasoned.

The girl and the youkai shared a companionable silence while she studied for an upcoming English exam. Finally, Kagome shut her book, and stood from her place at the desk, stretching. She turned out the light, but she didn't want to go to sleep just yet. She had figured out that Hiei was more comfortable in the darkness, and she figured she could get him to talk more if he was comfortable. She sat back against the pillows on her bed and looked at Hiei.

"You never told me what kind of youkai you are," Kagome reminded him.

"Ch."

Well, that didn't work. _Time to try something a little different..._ she thought.

"Kurama told me about Youko tonight, and I'm glad he did. I think I understand a lot more about him now."

Hiei mentally chuckled at the girl's poor attempt at manipulating him. It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was getting at. She wanted to know more about him...so she could better understand him?

Hiei snorted at that thought. _If she knew about my past, the truth of what I really am, she'd wish she'd never asked._ She was too pure, too naive to handle the truth about him.

But was she really all that naive? She must have seen a thing or two in the Sengoku Jidai. Those friends of hers weren't exactly innocent, either. The houshi was an unrepentant hentai; the taijiya was a steel-eyed warrior; the hanyou...

_The hanyou._ Hanyou were outcasts from both youkai and human societies. The taboos against interbreeding carried unfortunate consequences for the offspring of such unions, and Inuyasha must have struggled daily for survival in much the same way Hiei had to. What was it like for him, having the sheer strength of the inu-youkai blood coursing through his veins, battling for supremacy with the human blood of his mother?

And yet, the hanyou seemed to fit easily enough into the odd group they had formed. The roughness in his personality hadn't been smoothed over, but the houshi, the taijiya, the miko, and the full-blooded youkai -- four who should have, by all rights, rejected the hanyou completely -- accepted Inuyasha. Hiei hadn't had time to observe the group's dynamics for very long, but from what he'd seen, he had gathered that it was Kagome's influence that led the others to accept him, as well as calming the hanyou's wild nature enough for him to coexist with humans.

Maybe he was wrong about her. Maybe she could accept him for what he really was. If she didn't, he could put this whole thing behind him and forget about the girl. If she did... He wasn't sure what would happen if she did, but suddenly, he just had to find out. If he could gain the forgiveness and acceptance of one such as Kagome, perhaps there was hope for him after all, perhaps he could find the courage to tell Yukina the truth.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Hiei asked Kagome, startling the girl. She had almost drifted off to sleep in the silence, but his question brought her back to consciousness quickly. She knew that he was asking her whether she wanted to know the truth about him.

"Yes," she said, trying to hide her excitement. It wouldn't do to spook him now, when he was about to open up to her.

Now that he had decided to tell her, Hiei was unsure how to proceed. Telling his story verbally, or even telepathically, would take hours, and he was never very comfortable with talking. But if he could _show_ her...

Kagome eased her mental barrier when she felt the gentle nudge in her mind. She settled back against the pillows to prepare herself for what was to come. But there was no way she could have anticipated the images and raw emotion that poured into her over the mindlink.

Kagome gasped as the memories of violence and bloodshed threatened to overwhelm her. The transfer only took a few seconds -- Hiei hadn't shown her all of his memories, just the ones that were most significant -- but Kagome needed time to process what she'd been given. She breathed deeply and sank further against the pillows.

_Half fire, half ice...the Forbidden Child...abandoned by his mother...raised by thieves in an unforgiving landscape...pain...blinding anger...blood...a gem...a third eye...the dragon that brought both victory and vulnerability...a girl with ice blue hair and red eyes...Kurama...a stolen sword...Koenma_...

Time passed slowly for Hiei while Kagome sat in silence on the bed. Minutes passed, or was it hours? Hiei's eyes never left the girl as he waited with baited breath for her reaction.

When she finally rose from the bed and walked toward him, Hiei second-guessed his decision. Would she slap him again? Scream at him for all the killings? Shove him out the window and tell him never to see her again? _Let her,_ he desperately told himself. _I don't care. I don't care at all._

Kagome stood before him with a blank stare for a moment that stretched into eternity for the fire apparition. And then, with a muffled cry, she threw her arms around his neck and sobbed, her tears falling against his throat and trickling down to dampen his cloak. He didn't dare move for fear of dispelling the spell. Finally, he pushed her away gently and spoke.

"I don't need your pity."

Kagome sniffled and looked up at Hiei. "You don't understand. I don't pity you, Hiei."

"Then why do you cry?"

Kagome thought for a moment before she answered. "I cry because you..you never did." Hiei helped her to stand and guided her to the bed. She clutched at his cloak when he turned to leave, and he answered her silent plea by sitting down on the bed next to her. He remained there until her tears dried and she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Kagome awoke to dawn's light streaming in through her bedroom window. Hiei, as usual, was gone. Kagome stared at the ceiling, wondering whether last night was all just a dream. But the memories Hiei had shown her were too lifelike, too focused and graphic to be anything but real.

She went through the motions of getting ready for school in a daze, barely acknowledging her family's usual morning greetings over breakfast. She had expected Hiei's past to be full of pain and violence, but what he had shown her was beyond anything in her experience. Most disturbing of all were the atrocities committed by Hiei himself. She was glad that she probably wouldn't see Hiei until that evening after kung fu. She still needed some time to sort out how she felt about him.

Kagome was preoccupied for the rest of the day. Her teacher finally lost patience with Kagome's failure to pay attention, and assigned her extra homework. _That's all I need. More work on top of everything else._ Could anyone really blame her? She had to figure out how to stop a virtual apocalypse in the next few weeks; she had to listen to her fellow students chatter about college entrance exams that she wouldn't have the chance to take; there were demonic wasps attempting to watch her every move; her sifu, who was a kitsune by the way, was acting awfully strangely around her; and she'd just received the memories of a murderous, thieving hybrid youkai. And now, she had homework. Life sucked sometimes. _Stupid life._

Kurama noticed her distraction during class as well, but let it slide in light of recent events. She waited while the rest of the students left, but Kurama told her to take the rest of the night off instead of staying for the private lesson. He and Youko were still at odds over the girl, and he didn't want to risk Youko taking over his body and making him do something untoward.

During the long walk home, Kagome kept looking over her shoulder, expecting Hiei to pop up like he usually did, but he failed to appear. By the time she reached the shrine steps, Kagome was getting worried. Had something happened to him? Or had he been angry at her reaction last night? She waited by the steps for him to appear, but ten minutes later, she was still alone. Kagome sighed and headed up the stairs. _He can take care of himself,_ she thought.

But by the time she was ready for bed, Kagome was getting seriously worried for Hiei's welfare. She opened the window and waited for him, but he still didn't come. _What do I do?_ she wondered.

"Hiei," Kagome called, leaning out the open window, "I just need to know if you're okay. If you don't come in, I'm going to call Kurama." She blinked, and Hiei was there, sitting in front of her like he'd been there all along.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" she cried, giving him only the second hug he'd had in his entire life. He didn't like it. He pulled away from her.

Kagome turned off the lights and lay down in bed. "I thought all day about what you showed me," she said, and Hiei dreaded what she was going to say next. Would she push him away? "I can't condone the things you've done. You stole from innocent people. You killed in cold blood. I can't say that it's okay." She stopped for a moment, and Hiei's cold heart sank. "But I can feel that you're not evil, not like Naraku. You have a warmth in your heart that has nothing to do with your heritage. I won't tell you to change, and I won't try to make you. It wouldn't be fair to you. But I'd like you to see the goodness you have within you. Can you see it, Hiei? Can you feel the softness in your heart?"

Hiei's crimson eyes stared emotionlessly out at the shrine grounds, but inwardly his heart was racing. She hadn't rejected him, but she wasn't happy about his past. He could live with that. But she'd asked a question that demanded an answer Hiei didn't know how to give. The girl lay silently on the bed, but Hiei could tell that she wasn't sleeping, waiting for him to speak. He would never admit to such a pathetic weakness as 'softness in his heart,' but there was one thing he could tell her that he'd never breathed to another living soul.

'_**My sister,**_' he finally said softly. '_**I would give my life for her.**_' Kagome smiled in the darkness, fully satisfied with his answer.

"I'm glad you told me, Hiei," she said as she yawned and turned over to sleep. "I'm glad you let me be your friend."

* * *

_Meanwhile, in Makai_...

"This is stupid," said Kurabara, kicking at the dirt.

Yuusuke had to admit that he was right. They had spent two days tracking down rumors in the sectors of Makai from which Koenma had said youkai were disappearing, but the remaining inhabitants were either too weak to have the power of speech or too frightened to talk. Not even Yuusuke's special brand of 'persuasion' was enough to get any information out of them, and he was getting sick of what was turning into a wild goose chase.

Now they were chasing another rumor that would probably turn out to be fruitless. It was said that the Consumption, as Makai residents had dubbed the strange presence, had intruded on the Western Territories and been driven away by its Lord. Yuusuke wasn't familiar with these parts, since the Lord kept his subjects in check and meted out his own ruthless justice. George was getting more nervous by the minute, and seemed to have developed a tic in his neck over the past few hours.

"What's with the flinching, Ogre?" he finally asked. "What's got you so jumpy?"

"Koenma has an agreement with the Western L-lord. We're not supposed to enter his lands without permission."

Yuusuke frowned at that. _This Lord is strong enough to get Koenma to agree to such a thing?_ he wondered. It didn't matter. Time was of the essence, and they had to track down Naraku as soon as possible.

Yuusuke turned to tell Kurabara to be careful, but to his surprise, his friend was gone. "Kurabara? Kurabara!" he yelled, scanning the forest they'd been walking through for any sign of his friend. He found none.

"Where the hell did he go?" Yuusuke asked the ogre, who was almost catatonic with fear. Yuusuke cursed Kurabara's stupidity and turned around to look for his friend again. When he turned back, the ogre was gone as well.

Now seriously worried, Yuusuke let his ki flare up in a warning to whoever had taken them. "Who are you? Show yourself!" he shouted, holding his hand out in front of him, prepared to fire off the Rei Gan.

Hearing an amused snort from behind him, Yuusuke whirled and pointed his finger in that direction. He was startled when the unconscious forms of Kurabara and the ogre flew through the air and landed with a thud at his feet.

"Foolish," said an emotionless masculine voice from the shadows. Yuusuke could see a tall figure lurking beneath the trees, and he suddenly sensed a flare of youki that threatened to choke him. _What the fuck...that power!_ The figure suddenly blurred, and Yuusuke could only stare in shock when the youkai appeared in front of him, looming over him with a disapproving frown on his angelic face.

"You will never defeat Naraku with such bumbling fools," said the mysterious youkai before Yuusuke felt a sudden blow to his head, and then there was darkness...

_Edited 17 May 2005_


	8. Sesshoumaru

**Title:** Paradox

**Author:** Somnambulicious

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer:**  
I don't own either  
_Inuyasha_ or _YuYu_;  
Somebody else does.

* * *

**Chapter 8:** Sesshoumaru

Yuusuke awoke to a blinding headache. _What the... What the hell happened?_ he wondered, trying to recall where he was. Ah, yes, they had gone to Makai, he and the two dimwits, and then...

He was on his feet in a flash, but then his head reminded him of the blow he'd received, and he tried to push back the pain as he took in his surroundings. He had been lying on an old-fashioned futon on the floor. The room was enclosed by shoji screens, giving it a decidedly traditional feel. The red light filtering in through the screens told him he was still in Makai. He could vaguely make out a rather disturbing mural painted on the ceiling...a gargantuan white dog with blood red eyes laying waste to a human village, youki swirling about him...

_First things first,_ he thought grimly. _Gotta find Kurabara and the ogre. Then we can get the fuck out of here and back to Koenma._ He slid the door open as quietly as he could and peered out into the hallway. _Empty...where are the guards?_

Not one to question his luck, Yuusuke crept down the hall, peeking into each room he passed. When he reached the end of the hallway, he was unsure of which direction to take. _Left or right?_ he wondered. He turned left, decided that didn't feel right, and turned back around...

And came face to face with his youkai captor.

The guy was tall. There was no doubt about it. Long silver hair fell down to his knees, and he had strange markings on his face. _Probably an indication of his rank. Is he the Western Lord?_ He was dressed in an expensive-looking white haori and hakama. Two swords hung from the obi at his waist, and Yuusuke's eyes lingered at the youkai's left shoulder. _He's missing an arm._

Before Yuusuke could throw a punch, the youkai grasped his neck with a clawed hand and lifted him several inches off of the floor. Yuusuke struggled, but the youkai's reach was greater than his own, so he could only grab the arm holding him and squeeze, trying to make him let go. The youkai's glare increased.

Yuusuke waited for the guy to say something along the lines of, "Die!" or "There is no escape!" but he just stood there with an bored look on his face. Finally, Yuusuke had enough.

"Where are they?" he gasped. "Let us go now, and there won't be any trouble."

The youkai's eyes narrowed. "This Sesshoumaru has an agreement with your _esteemed_ employer. You were trespassing. This Sesshoumaru was within his rights to kill you and your comrades."

_The ogre said something about a contract...this must be the Western Lord, then._ Yuusuke didn't like the way he kept referring to himself in the third person. _He sure thinks a lot of himself._

"I could care less what kind of agreement you have with Koenma. We're on an important mission, and we didn't have time for formalities."

"I am aware of your so-called mission," Sesshoumaru replied evenly, never wavering in his hold on Yuusuke's neck. "You are doomed to failure if those idiots you brought with you are your strongest allies."

"Hey, you know about Naraku?" Yuusuke asked. _He said something before I passed out..._

"I am acquainted with that disgusting hanyou," spat Sesshoumaru, his distaste for Naraku all too obvious. "This time, he will not survive this Sesshoumaru's wrath."

_This time...?_ "So you're on our side, then," said Yuusuke with visible relief.

Sesshoumaru lowered Yuusuke to the floor. "We share a common goal. That is merely a coincidence. This Sesshoumaru is on no one's side."

_Touchy bastard,_ Yuusuke thought.

"Your trespass will not go unpunished," the taiyoukai continued. "But this Sesshoumaru may have use for you yet. You and your companions will accompany me to Reikai this evening. Until then, you are restricted to these rooms," Sesshoumaru said, gesturing down the hallway.

_Like hell I am,_ Yuusuke thought. He darted forward in an attempt to get at Sesshoumaru, but the youkai suddenly stepped back, and Yuusuke hit a barrier that flung him several feet backward. The taiyoukai said no more, but instead turned heel and left Yuusuke sitting alone in the hallway. _Better find the others,_ he thought again as he headed back down the hall to search the rooms on the other side of his. _If they're not okay..._

* * *

Kurama's private lesson on Thursday evening was a bit different than the lessons Kagome was used to. For one thing, he lectured her during the entire thing, telling her about Makai and Reikai, never pausing or skipping a beat while they sparred. And for another...

She could _swear_ he kept hitting her ass. And...other things. Intentionally.

At first, she ignored it, figuring it was just an accident. She tried to block his hits, but he was too quick for her. Finally, she'd had enough, and when Kurama paused for a short break, Kagome slapped him across the face.

'_What the-- Hey, that's not proper Wing Chun form!_' said Youko.

Kagome was fuming. "Keep your hands to yourself, you...you kinky kitsune!"

Youko blinked in surprise. '_She thinks that's kinky?_'

"Why Kagome, I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Kurama said in his most sensual tone of voice, so low it was practically a purr.

Kagome stared deep into those golden eyes... _Wait. Golden eyes? Weren't they green?_

Kurama was fighting to maintain domination of his own body. Youko had taken advantage of his surprise at Kagome's slap and leapt forward to seize control. '_Youko, what the hell are you doing?_'

'_Relax. This will be so much fun_.'

Kagome backed away from him when she saw the predatory glint in Kurama's eyes, but she stopped when she felt the wall against her back. Kurama, now completely under Youko's control, stalked forward to stand chest-to-chest with the girl, his hands on the wall on either side of her head, preventing any escape.

'_Humph. Like she'd want to escape_.'

He leaned down and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling deeply. There was the smell of her shampoo, sweetly floral like jasmine and honey, and another one...faint, but very familiar, smelling of woodsmoke on fresh snow. Youko didn't pause to wonder how she'd gotten so close to the fire apparition. It wasn't something he wanted to think about.

"Such power," he whispered, his lips brushing the top of her ear. Kagome shivered at the emotion that colored his voice and awoke a need both primitive and strong deep in her belly. Her breaths were ragged and shallow, and she bit her lower lip, unable to find her voice.

"Such a delectable little morsel." She could feel the warmth of his breath against her neck now, traveling down to her shoulders and back up again. His voice was deeper now. _That...that doesn't sound like Kurama._

'_She won't. Not like this, not a simple fling,_' Kurama tried to convince Youko.

'_We'll taste her first, and decide then if we want to keep her,_' Youko reasoned.

He was so close to her, she could _feel_ the purr rumbling in his chest, feel the strong warmth of his body, smell the spicy, masculine scent that clung to him. Her mind was in a fog as the effects of kitsune seduction overwhelmed her. He was leaning in closer now, his lips just a hairsbreadth away from hers. Kagome stood stock still and closed her eyes, anticipating what would be her first kiss ever...surprised that in her mind's eye, it wasn't Kurama she was about to kiss, but someone else...

But it never came.

A tap on his shoulder was the first indication Kurama had that someone else was in the dojo with them. He pulled away from Kagome and turned around to see Hiei, looking as bored as ever. '_Now _that_ was _not_ a coincidence!_' cried Youko. Hiei smirked at the fox's accusation.

He'd been watching the private lesson from outside, as usual, and was a little displeased with the fox's actions. He'd tried to quash his growing alarm as the kitsune stalked the girl, and she seemed to relent. _I don't care. I don't care what she does with him,_ he'd tried to tell himself. But when he'd seen Kurama's lips so close to hers... _Oh, hell._

Kurama's eyes shifted from golden to green once more. Hiei nodded in approval.

"The others will be arriving soon," the fire apparition informed them. "Koenma is expecting us. We do not have time for such dalliances," he said, glaring at Kagome. She blushed prettily and looked down at her feet, speechless for once.

"Perhaps you would like to gather your things from the locker room, Kagome," Kurama said as though nothing had happened between them. "It will likely be another long session. Have you informed your mother that you'll be out late again tonight?"

"Ah...yeah. I'll...just go get my things," Kagome said before scampering off to the women's locker room.

'_Why do you keep interfering?_' Youko asked Hiei once they were alone. '_And no, a 'ch' will not suffice for an answer this time._'

'_**She must be strong for the battle to come. Feeding on her energy would be unwise at this time,**_' Hiei told him sternly.

'_At this time? And after the battle?_' Youko inquired innocently. Hiei growled in response, and Youko chuckled. '_I told you, Kurama. He does fancy the girl._'

'_**Don't be stupid. She is human**_.'

'_Then why does your scent cling to her so_?'

Hiei recalled the girl's relieved embrace the night before. He declined to answer the fox, and smirked instead.

Kagome walked back into the dojo to see Kurama and Hiei glaring at each other. _Now what?_ she wondered. She glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Um, shouldn't Kurabara and Yuusuke be here by now?" she asked, interrupting the staredown.

"You're right," said Kurama. "Perhaps they ran into trouble in Makai."

"Oh, I hope not! Do you think they're okay?" Kurama's response was cut off when a portal suddenly opened and Botan stepped through.

"All right, guys! And Kagome! Koenma will see you now," Botan said, cheerful as always.

"What about Yuusuke and Kurabara?" asked Kagome.

"Oh, they're already there. They came straight from Makai with-- Well, you'll find out soon enough. Come on, let's get going!" Hiei, Kurama, and Kagome went through the portal, this time stepping directly into Koenma's office.

Hiei and Kurama both registered the overwhelmingly strong, unfamiliar youki immediately. True to Botan's word, Kurabara and Yuusuke were already there, along with Koenma and his lackey. What really caught their attention, though, was a tall figure hidden in unnatural shadow, standing silently in the corner.

Kagome froze when she saw the shadowy figure. Although she couldn't make out his face, something about him was vaguely familiar. He shifted, and the light glinted off a stray strand of silver hair. Something about the symmetry of the figure was off... Kagome gasped. _No. It can't be. Not here._

The shadows dispelled, and Sesshoumaru stepped forward in all his regal glory.

"Miko," he said, his eyes narrowing, "it has been a very long time."

Yuusuke knocked his chair over as he hastily stood. "What the hell? Kagome, you know him?"

Kagome paled and backed away slowly, her eyes widening. Out of reflex, her hand flew to her hip where her sword should have been. _Damnit. Didn't think I'd need to come armed._

Kurama and Hiei both saw her rising alarm, and in silent agreement, they stepped forward to stand between the girl and the taiyoukai, both ready to defend her if necessary.

'_Sesshoumaru_.'

Hiei was surprised when her voice registered in his mind, but his face didn't show it. _So it is the same Sesshoumaru...Taiyoukai of the Western Lands of Makai, half-brother of Inuyasha._

Koenma stood when he saw the impending confrontation. He had suspected that the girl might know Sesshoumaru, because of her relation to his half-brother. But he'd have to calm things down quickly. The taiyoukai was too powerful an ally to lose over some silly insult to his pride.

"Sesshoumaru, I would like to introduce the rest of our team. This is Hiei and Youko Kurama, and I believe you are already acquainted with the miko taijiya, Higurashi Kagome."

"Yes, the little girl who used to traipse around after my idiotic half-brother." Sesshoumaru had been shocked when the girl had walked into the office, to say the least. His half-brother and the group he traveled with had disappeared without a trace over five hundred years ago, and the Tessaiga along with them. Sesshoumaru hadn't given Inuyasha a thought in centuries, but here was this girl...how?

Koenma turned to the two youkai standing protectively in front of Kagome. "This is Sesshoumaru, the Taiyoukai and Lord of the Western Lands of Makai. You will treat him with all the respect due one of his station." He sent each of them a hard glare that told them he meant it.

"You said nothing of the miko," Sesshoumaru said to Koenma. He wouldn't lower himself to inquire about how it was that she was here, but he'd be damned if he didn't get some answers anyway.

"Well, no, but she is central to the problem at hand. She and your brother, Inuyasha."

"Half-brother," Sesshoumaru corrected him automatically.

Koenma sighed. "Yes, half-brother."

"Whoa, back up a bit! This is Inuyasha's half-brother? And he knows Kagome?" asked Yuusuke.

Koenma glared at him. "If you'd been paying attention when she told her story, you would've realized that by now!"

"Where is the hanyou?" asked Sesshoumaru, ignoring Yuusuke's questions. "I have been waiting over five hundred years to give him the honor of death by my hand."

"No," whispered Kagome, drawing everyone's attention away from Sesshoumaru. "Not here. Not now." _It's not possible. It's not fair! We were so close to having a team that could defeat Naraku, but now..._

Koenma groaned internally. This was getting far too complicated for his tastes. "Ogre, go and get something for us to eat. I'm sure our guests are hungry. Why don't we all sit down? Kagome's story will take some time to tell." Kagome remained frozen in place, but Kurama retrieved a chair for her. She felt his gentle hand on her shoulder and sat, still numb from shock. Kurama sat on one side of her, and Hiei stood on the other. Sesshoumaru remained standing as well.

Koenma crouched in front of Kagome's chair to speak with her. "Now, Kagome, Sesshoumaru is a force to be reckoned with in Makai. If we are to defeat Naraku, we will need him as an ally. His hatred for Naraku runs deep. If you tell him your tale, we might be able to persuade him to join forces with us."

"You can't let him hurt Inuyasha," whispered Kagome. Koenma highly doubted that he could prevent the taiyoukai from doing anything, but he nodded to reassure the girl. They needed his cooperation, regardless of the cost.

Kagome's narrative was shorter this time, since Sesshoumaru already knew Inuyasha's tale and Naraku's story. She told him of the well and the origins of the jewel, and went into some detail about her companions. _Maybe if he knows more about us, he'll be more inclined to let Inuyasha go,_ she hoped. Sesshoumaru asked short and pointed questions now and then, which Kagome answered truthfully. The ogre brought in some bento halfway through her story, which Kagome picked at halfheartedly. Hiei and Sesshoumaru both declined to eat.

Sesshoumaru was silent when Kagome finished her story. It was a lot to think about. If what she said was true...if Naraku had been gathering his strength for half a millennium in preparation of the final assault...an alliance would be necessary in order to defeat him, no matter how distasteful the prospect was to him.

"Miko. I will speak with you privately," Sesshoumaru finally said, breaking the silence. Kagome looked to Koenma for reassurance, and he nodded to her. Not even Sesshoumaru would shed blood here in Reikai.

"Everyone out," Koenma ordered. Hiei and Kurama were the last to leave, both glancing back at Kagome before they went into the waiting room and closed the door.

Kagome stood and walked up to Sesshoumaru. She seemed to wage an inner battle for a moment before she did the unexpected.

She bowed deeply to Sesshoumaru. "Please, Sesshoumaru-sama," she whispered. "Please don't kill Inuyasha." The feud between the brothers had gone on for so long, but if there was the smallest chance that begging would make the taiyoukai relent, Kagome would swallow her pride and beg for all she was worth.

Sesshoumaru frowned. "The hanyou has been a blight on my name for far too long. Allowing his continued existence would only weaken my position. I have no choice but to kill him."

_Well, so much for begging._ Kagome straightened and looked Sesshoumaru in the eye. "No." Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her audacity, surprised at the firmness in her voice. "You cannot kill him. We need him in the fight against Naraku. You would be a fool to destroy such a strong ally."

"You presume far too much, little miko. You cannot order this Sesshoumaru around the way you do that weakling half-brother of mine."

"Do I? Think carefully, Sesshoumaru. Naraku has grown in power since you last encountered him. Would you throw away your chance to destroy him because of politics? Which is more important to you, Sesshoumaru? Killing Naraku or killing Inuyasha?"

It was a fair question. Sesshoumaru had picked up the scent of Naraku's shouki on the borders of his lands two nights ago, but the hanyou was gone by the time he arrived. He was a devious and formidable foe, Sesshoumaru had to admit. But those who sat on the High Council would frown upon him if he allowed his half-human brother to live. Makai politics were complicated, and while Sesshoumaru was one of the strongest taiyoukai remaining, he did not want to lose what few allies he had on the Council.

"It cannot be helped," he said.

Kagome's mind raced furiously. She'd picked up snippets of information about Makai politics from the magazine in Koenma's waiting room and Kurama's lecture. Blood ties were strong, but there was another force that held sway over everything else...

"What if he was indebted to Reikai?" she asked suddenly. "What if he were under sentence from Koenma? Would you be able to kill him then?"

The girl's cleverness surprised him. _One would think her to be dimwitted, from her stubborn loyalty to the half-breed. Perhaps there is something more to this girl than I previously thought._

"I would be unable to kill him then. The sentence would override my obligation." Sesshoumaru hated his half-brother; there was no denying that. But he hated Naraku even more, and if defeating him meant he had to suffer Inuyasha's continued existence, it was a price he was willing to pay.

"Very well, then," said Kagome. She reached over Koenma's desk and pressed the intercom button. "Koenma? Could you come in here, please?" she asked.

Koenma was a little disgruntled at being summoned into his own office. _The things I put up with to keep the worlds safe..._ He entered and closed the door behind him.

"I understand that if Inuyasha was under sentence to Reikai, Sesshoumaru would be unable to kill him. Is that true?" Kagome asked.

The girl's question surprised him, but Koenma could see where she was going with this. "Yes. If he was indebted to us like Hiei and Kurama are, Sesshoumaru's blood obligation would be secondary to that sentence."

"Do you think you could come up with a violation and a sentence for Inuyasha? Something mild, but permanent?"

"Clever girl. He did trespass into Ningenkai without permission, regardless of the fact that he was never in Makai to begin with. I could sentence him to service for that," replied Koenma.

Kagome frowned. "I'm not so sure Inuyasha would agree to that. He's not really the serving type, if you know what I mean."

"We could think of something more agreeable to him. I will have someone draw up a few forms, and Inuyasha can choose one that is acceptable."

"Thank you so much! This makes everything so much simpler!" cried Kagome.

"And you are in agreement with this?" Koenma asked Sesshoumaru.

"My displeasure at my half-brother's continued existence is secondary to my disgust for Naraku. I will bear this for the sake of defeating Naraku."

Koenma used the intercom to call the rest of the group back into the office. "We have come to an agreement that will prevent any fighting between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. Now, I believe Sesshoumaru had something to tell us about Naraku."

"Indeed. I caught wind of Naraku's shouki two nights ago, near the eastern border of my lands. The coward fled by the time I arrived, but his scent is unmistakable. His youki is stronger than I remember, and he managed to absorb a few C-class demons before he left. However, the power of his barrier is great, and I could not track him past the borders of my lands."

Koenma nodded. "It is as we suspected. Naraku is preparing for an assault to gain the last of the Shikon shards."

"If he attacks in Tokyo...man, that's gonna be bad," said Yuusuke, stating the obvious. Everyone sat in silence, thinking of the devastation that Naraku could cause in modern-day Tokyo. But there wasn't any way around it, unless...

"He won't." Kagome's determined voice drew everyone's attention. "He won't come to Tokyo, because I'll come to him. I'm sick of hiding, sick of reacting to what that bastard does. No more. This time, we're going after him."

Yuusuke started to protest, but he was cut off by Koenma. "I was hoping you would say that, Kagome. You do realize that going into Makai will be dangerous for you, especially since you are both miko and taijiya-trained."

Kagome nodded. "I fought youkai in a time back when there were no barriers to keep them from the human world. And I'm not going to risk the lives of innocent people by waiting for him to attack the shrine."

"It's settled then. We will hunt down Naraku in Makai. We will need a plan for the battle, though," said Koenma.

"I have something in mind," said Kagome, and she proceeded to tell them her plan.

* * *

It was well after midnight when Kagome finally dragged her weary feet back into the shrine house. She wasn't surprised to find her mother waiting up for her.

"Kagome! Where have you been? We've been worried sick about you! I was ready to call the police!"

Kagome sighed. "You might want to sit down, Mama. I have something I need to tell you."

Two hours and three pots of tea later, Kagome and her mother sat in silence at the kitchen table. Kagome hadn't told her mother everything; she'd left out Hiei's threats, and the fact that he had been spending the night in her room. But she assured her mother that the shrine was being watched and protected, and that the allies she had gathered to fight Naraku were even stronger than before.

"I always knew you were leaving things out," Mama said, breaking the silence. "Your stories about the battles...it was a lot worse than you let on, wasn't it?"

Kagome nodded. _Mothers...how do they know everything?_ "I didn't want to worry you. This is something I have to do, though. I hope you understand."

Mama smiled. "I was raised at this shrine, remember? I grew up with your grandfather's stories about heroes and villains, miko and youkai. I didn't believe them, not until you went through the well. But after that, I thought long and hard about those stories. If even half of them are true, then people like you have been keeping our world safe for a very long time. You are one of those people in the stories, Kagome. I don't want to see you hurt, but I understand your obligation and the threat to this world."

Kagome stared down at her teacup. _It's still a fairytale to her, but I'm glad she isn't trying to stop me._

Mama patted Kagome's arm. "It's late, and you have school tomorrow. We should go to bed."

Kagome trudged upstairs to find Hiei waiting for her on the windowsill. She mumbled a 'goodnight' to him before she collapsed on the bed and went to sleep.

* * *

_I really should have gotten more sleep last night,_ Kagome thought as she dragged herself to the well the next evening. That stupid bag was feeling extra heavy today, and the lack of sleep was getting to her.

Hiei was waiting for her when she slid open the door to the well house. "Are you ready?" she asked him.

"Ch." Kagome rolled her eyes, but by now she was used to his short replies. She had hoped that after he'd shown her his story, he would be more talkative. No such luck.

When Kagome climbed out of the well in the Sengoku Jidai behind Hiei, Inuyasha was already waiting for them.

"It's about time," he said.

"And hello to you, too, Inuyasha," Kagome said with a frown. "Have you told Sango and Miroku about what Kagura said?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "I wanted to wait for you. I finally got rid of that stupid wolf. Told him we'd picked up Naraku's scent to the south."

Kagome was relieved. _Well, that's one less problem to deal with._ The longer it took her to retrieve Kouga's shards, the longer they had before Naraku made his move.

"Well, we can't put this off forever. Let's go tell the others the news," Kagome said. Inuyasha and Hiei accompanied her to the village in silence.

They got more than a few odd stares from the villagers as the two familiar figures and a stranger with red eyes entered the village. Some were disapproving, and some were merely curious. By now, they were used to the strange happenings that came with having the shard-hunting group living in their village.

Kaede's expression betrayed no surprise when she saw Kagome and Inuyasha approaching with a figure that made her miko senses flare up in warning. _A youkai...and a powerful one, at that._ She stood from her seat near the door to her hut and called out to Miroku and Sango, who were preparing dinner with Shippou inside.

"Young Kagome has returned, and she brings a guest," she informed them. She heard the reed curtain rustle, and Sango, Miroku, and Shippou stepped out to stand beside her.

"Kagome, Inuyasha, who is this?" Miroku asked, never taking his eyes off of the small youkai.

Kagome sighed and looked at each of her friends in turn. _This isn't going to be easy._

"Guys, we have to talk," she said. Everyone went into Kaede's hut for what was sure to be a long and interesting night.

_Edited 17 May 2005_


	9. Kouga

**Title:** Paradox

**Author:** Somnambulicious

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer:**  
I don't own either  
_Inuyasha_ or _YuYu_;  
Somebody else does.

* * *

**Chapter 9:** Kouga

The hut was completely silent when Kagome finished telling them what had happened to her in the past two weeks. She'd left out certain details, as she had when telling her mother, and she hadn't told them about Sesshoumaru yet, but they had enough information to process for the time being.

Kaede sat cross-legged near the fire, a basket full of fresh herbs at her side. She pulled the leaves from the stems, placing them in a neat pile, as she thought over what Kagome had told them. That Naraku was alive and well in Kagome's era was troubling, but not entirely surprising. The evil hanyou had already proven himself to be devious and persistent, and she would not put it past him to spend five hundred years planning his victory. But what was more troubling were the implications...

She looked up to try and gauge Miroku's reaction. He was sitting in silence, leaning up against the wall, but she could see that his eyes were cast downward, staring at his right hand. _The kazaana..._

Sango appeared to be fighting back tears. Kaede thought she was handling the news rather well, considering that she'd just learned that her brother, her only living relative, would serve their enemy and her family's murderer for the next half-millennium. Kirara sat in the taijiya's lap, purring as Sango stroked her fur.

The strange, dark youkai stood near the doorway, staring impassively at the fire. Kagome had not told them what kind of youkai he was, or how old he was, or anything else about him, other than the fact that his name was Hiei and he was employed by Reikai, serving currently as her protector in the modern era. Kaede sensed great conflict in that one, and great power as well. She hoped that Kagome knew what she was doing in trusting him. If he could be turned against her, he would be a formidable foe indeed.

Inuyasha lounged on his side near the fire, his head propped up on one hand. Kaede could see from his facial expressions that he wasn't happy about Kagome's alliance with Reikai and these strange youkai, not happy at all. If he and the girl did not come to an agreement soon, there would be trouble.

Shippou was curled up in Kagome's lap, clinging to her blouse as if it were a lifeline. Kaede sighed and turned back to her herbs. _The poor kit...to be alone once more..._

"But there's more," Kagome said quietly, breaking the stony silence. "Koenma has agreed to allow the three of you to come through the well and join us in the modern era to hunt down Naraku. I have rosaries for each of you, and Kirara too, if that is what you want to do."

Miroku frowned, staring down at his hand. What Kagome had told them was a death sentence for him, but if he joined them in the future, he would have a chance to live to a ripe, old age. He would have to remain there, though, because Naraku was still alive in the past. He looked over at Sango and took a deep breath. The tears were streaming down her cheeks now, but she didn't make a sound in her grief. Going to a new and different world...it would be difficult, if not impossible, for him to ever fully adjust, and if his own premature death was the only reason for him to go, he would probably refuse. But Sango...

Sango would need him. There was little hope for Kohaku now. Five hundred years of serving Naraku must have eaten away at what little soul the boy had left, and now he might only find peace in death. Miroku wanted to be there to comfort her and give her the strength to do what needed to be done. He would be lying to himself if he didn't admit the other reason he wanted to be by her side, though...

_She is a special girl to me...more important than any other_.

Sango had made up her mind the moment Kagome had made her offer. She was a warrior, born, bred, and raised. Her honor, the honor of her family, demanded that Naraku pay in blood for his crimes, and she would follow him to the ends of the earth, to other worlds, to the end of time itself to exact her revenge. _And Kohaku...Kohaku must find honor in death, as well, and the chance for another, better life to come._

Shippou could hardly contain his excitement. His selfish kitsune nature was crying out for joy that Kagome wouldn't be leaving him, that he could stay with her forever. There had always been the fear, in the back of his mind, that once the jewel was complete, Kagome would leave them and return to her time forever. He snuggled closer to her and yawned.

Inuyasha, of course, would go. There was never any question in his mind. Where Naraku and the shards were, he'd be close behind. He had to avenge Kikyo's death, if it was the last thing he did...

_Kikyo..._

Inuyasha hadn't seen the undead miko in months. He would have to find her, to tell her before he left with Kagome.

Sango was the first to speak. "I will go with you. Naraku cannot hide from me, in time or space. I will not be denied my revenge." Kagome gave her friend a gentle smile.

"I will go as well," said Miroku. "I will not be long for this world if I stay, and Naraku must be made to pay for his crimes." Kagome didn't miss the meaningful look the houshi gave Sango. _He really does love her._

"And Shippou? What about you?" Kagome asked with a wistful smile. She already knew his answer, of course.

"What? Of course I'm going with you! Dog-breath isn't going to get rid of me that easily!" he said, sticking his tongue out at the inu-hanyou. Kagome skillfully whisked Shippou out of the way when Inuyasha made a not-so-playful swipe at him.

"We can't breathe a word of this to anyone," said Kagome. "We can't risk Naraku finding out, even here in the past." She took a deep breath before continuing. "And there's more," she said, looking down at her hands in her lap. _This is not going to be good..._

Two minutes later...

"_WHAT?_"

A flock of birds that had roosted for the night in a nearby tree suddenly roused and took to the skies, startled by Inuyasha's shout.

Inside Kaede's hut, said hanyou was standing now, his hackles raised, pointing an accusing claw at Kagome.

"You...you told them I would do _what_?"

"That you'd be indebted to Reikai, so Sesshoumaru wouldn't be pressured to kill you," she mumbled, still refusing to look at him.

"You can't just-- just go and make those kinds of decisions for me, wench! I don't need your meddling! I can handle Sesshoumaru just fine on my own!"

"We need his help, Inuyasha. Naraku is stronger now that--"

"--idiot brother is going to _allow_ me to live? That bastard is--"

"--can't just throw away a powerful ally like him, even if he is--"

"--sharpen my claws on his fucking skull, that's what I'll do, and then--"

"--ridiculous, letting your sibling rivalry get in the way when we--"

"--tear out his goddamn heart and eat it raw, or maybe with some ramen, and then--"

"Inuyasha..."

"--piss on his corpse, and do the same to that fucking Jaken, too, and then--"

"Inuyasha!"

"--fucking toad, always groveling at that bastard's feet, I'll bet the little shit takes it up the--"

"Sit!"

BAM!

"Ow! Wench! What the hell was that for?" yelled Inuyasha from his place on the floor.

"You shouldn't use that kind of language around Shippou! You're setting a bad example for him!" Kagome said, shaking a finger at him.

"Yeah, dog-breath! I'm impressionable!" said Shippou, imitating Kagome's finger wagging.

"Keh! I still say we don't need my stupid brother's help! Or _his_ either, for that matter!" Inuyasha yelled, pointing at Hiei now.

"Ch."

Miroku stood next to Inuyasha and placed a placating hand on his shoulder. "Now, Inuyasha, I haven't met Kagome's new allies, but I believe it would be unwise to dismiss them without--"

"What the hell do you know?" spat Inuyasha, shaking off Miroku's hand. "This all started with _him_. It's _his_ fault we're in this mess to begin with." He turned his glare from Hiei to Kagome. "And she's been lying, too, you know. She brought him through the well with her last time, and she didn't tell us about it! He was probably spying on us the whole time! I've had enough of this!" With that, Inuyasha stalked out of the hut and launched himself into a nearby tree, proceeding to carve his frustration into the bark.

"Is what he says true, Kagome?" Miroku asked quietly. It was so unlike her to deceive them.

Kagome nodded, too ashamed to look the houshi in the eyes. "Is it okay if we talk about it later? I really need to talk to Inuyasha right now."

"Of course it is, Kagome. We trust your judgement." It didn't escape Kagome's notice that Sango was strangely silent on the matter, but she didn't want to press the subject, so she left the hut in silence. Hiei disappeared as soon as she was gone.

Miroku sighed deeply and sat down next to Sango. "What do you think of all this?"

"I don't know what to think anymore. I don't _want_ to think anymore," she replied quietly.

Miroku nodded sagely. "Sometimes it is best not to think, but instead to feel..."

Two seconds later, a sharp slap resounded in the hut, and then all was quiet.

* * *

Kagome sat down with her back against the tree that she knew Inuyasha was in.

"Inuyasha?"

Silence.

A sigh. "Inuyasha, I know you're really angry with me right now, and you probably have every right to be. But try to understand, I was only doing what I thought was best for everyone. Naraku is a strong enemy, and the more people we have to fight against him, the better chance we have to win and come out in one piece. If something happened to you or Sango or Miroku or Shippou... Even if we managed to beat him, but I lost one of you... I was only trying to protect you."

_But I'm the one who's supposed to be protecting you, Kagome_.

"I know I can't really expect you to trust Hiei and the others right now, but I wish you'd at least give them a chance. You and Hiei have more in common than you realize."

_She knows something about him, something she's not telling me_.

"You're my best friend, Inuyasha, and I'm sorry I deceived you. I don't know what I was thinking. I don't know what I can do to make it up to you."

_I wish things could just be like they were before. I wish we didn't know, that Kagura had never told you_.

"But I wish you would just trust me, Inuyasha. I know I probably don't deserve that right now, but please, we have to get past this and fight together, or else Naraku... Naraku..." Kagome's voice trailed off, and Inuyasha could hear a muffled sob.

A sigh. _I never could stand to see you cry._

Kagome heard a soft thump next to her, and she looked up through tear-fogged eyes to see Inuyasha crouched next to her, staring off into the forest.

"Feh. Don't cry, wench. Makes your face all puffy, like Hachi."

Kagome giggled through her tears. _Inuyasha, I hope you never change._

"I'll go along with this stupid plan of yours, but I'm not going to like it. And the moment those spirit guys or Sesshoumaru turn on us--"

Kagome interrupted his threat with a heartfelt hug. "Thank you, Inuyasha. I know that if we all work together, we can defeat him," she whispered.

_At least, I hope we will.._.

* * *

Sango and Kagome didn't train that night. Instead, they agreed to go to bed early and train throughout the day on Saturday. Nobody said anything when Inuyasha took off into the forest. He'd stay close by -- he didn't fully trust Hiei yet -- but he had to find Kikyo.

Kaede and Shippou were already in a deep sleep, but Miroku, Sango, and Kagome all found sleep elusive. Each sat wide awake in the dark hut, lost in their own thoughts.

"Guys?" said Kagome. "I'm really sorry I didn't tell you about Hiei. He didn't come here to spy on us. I think he was just curious and wanted a bit of freedom that he doesn't have in my era. I really should have told you."

"I wish you had, Kagome, but we'll just have to move on now," said Miroku. None of them really had the right to question her judgement in accepting him. After all, she had accepted each of them without even demanding an apology for their previous actions against her.

Miroku's words were just what Kagome needed to hear, and she finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_She couldn't see a thing. Everything was darkness, abyss, and then.._.

_Moonlight filtered through rustling leaves. Stars shining brightly. A soft patch of grass tickling her bare legs.._.

_Movement. Someone was above her. Flesh on flesh.._.

_White hot heat: a fire that did not consume. Her partner nipped lightly at her neck, razor sharp fangs careful not to pierce the delicate, almost translucent skin_.

_Slowly, she gained awareness. With a gasp, she suddenly felt the blood coursing through her veins. Her senses were magnified, and she was aware of every inch of her body, from her soft hair splayed over the grass, to the dampness between her legs, to the soles of her feet, curling in anticipation_.

_The sounds of the night-shrouded forest: a cricket singing for his mate, a mouse shuffling through the underbrush, the scream of a grouse pierced by an owl's sharp talons. Her partner's breath on her ear, panting but not from exertion.._.

_The heady scent of pollen and earth...a slight sweet smell that escaped identification...the scent of woodsmoke on snow.._.

_Briefly, she wondered who he was. Usually it was Inuyasha's face that she conjured up in these dreams, but the long silver hair was conspicuously absent. His features were shrouded in shadow, but when she felt his heated touch, she found that she no longer cared_.

_He raked his fangs lightly over her soft flesh, teasing her with a promise of things to come. She felt something tighten in her belly, a coil of white fire in her mind's eye. He began a maddeningly slow pace, touching her in ways that both thrilled and frightened her_.

_She shifted to grant him better access. He answered her unspoken appeal with a quicker pace, and she felt a growing need for something, something she couldn't put into words, something primal and absolutely essential. She choked out a wordless plea, arching her back and grasping at the earth beneath her fingers. She felt rather than heard his answering growl, and she let out a growl of her own when he removed his hand from her_.

_Her pulse quickened when he shifted to lie directly on top of her. And then...and then..._.

_She found herself writhing beneath him, one hand curled into his hair, the other clutching at the flesh of his back. She started to quiver when the heat in her belly concentrated to a single point, and when she felt herself on the edge of imminent release, she pulled her lover's head down to hers. She had to know who it was, who had the power to make her burn with a passion she'd never felt before, and just as she was about to achieve the sweet peak of ecstasy, she saw those eyes, those unmistakable red eyes, and gasped.._.

"Hiei?"

Kagome sat bolt upright in the sleeping bag, panting for air, shuddering at the unfulfilled passion that throbbed between her legs. She quickly looked down at Shippou, who was curled up at her side, and was glad to see that he wasn't awake. Dawn's light had yet to pierce the sky, so she lay back down and puzzled over the dream.

_Hiei...I don't find him attractive...do I?_ Now that she thought about it, he was intriguing in that dark, brooding sort of way. And those almond-shaped crimson eyes, the hard, smooth flesh of his back...

Kagome let out a groan of frustration. At this rate, she'd never get back to sleep.

* * *

Hiei had been hunting in the forest when he passed Inuyasha, who was headed deeper into the woods. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Hiei nodded in understanding, turning back to the village.

He was a bit miffed that he had to babysit for the humans instead of killing something, but the comforting scent of Kagome in the nearby hut almost made up for the inconvenience. So he sat in a tree and closed his eyes, keeping his senses sharp to detect any trouble that might be headed their way.

Something started to bother him, a whisper at the back of his mind, and at first he ignored it. His brow furrowed when the scent grew stronger -- for that's what it was, a scent, wafting up to him from the hut below. But he couldn't ignore it any longer when he realized what it was.

It was the girl. And she was aroused. Very, very aroused.

He shifted on the branch of the tree, suddenly finding himself very uncomfortable. Why did this have to happen now, when he couldn't run off into the forest and kill a few low-level youkai to take the edge off his frustration? And what was she _doing_ in there?

He attuned all of his senses to the humans below, wondering if perhaps the houshi had something to do with this. But no, he could hear the rhythmic breathing of each of them. They were all asleep.

_Ah...so she's dreaming_.

He couldn't stop himself from wondering what it was she was dreaming about. Inuyasha, perhaps, or Kurama. After all, he'd caught her nearly _kissing_ the damn fox yesterday. He found that he didn't like the thought of her dreaming about anyone like that.

Unbidden, his mind supplied an image of her from memory, drenched in the blood of the bandit, shaking and panting from exertion with a sword in her hands. He groaned and shifted again. _Gods...that is not helping._

He had just made up his mind to go and take his disguntlement out on a few of the village chickens when her scent suddenly spiked and he heard her muffled gasp.

"Hiei?"

That stopped him in his tracks. Was she... Had she really been...

No. That wasn't possible. He was the Forbidden Child. She should be disgusted by him, repulsed and horrified just like everyone else was. She knew what he'd done in the past, knew his history of thievery and violence. And yet...

_No_.

Hiei turned and slammed his fist into the tree, burying his arm up to the elbow in the hardwood trunk.

He would not entertain such thoughts. The girl was human, a miko-taijiya, trained to hate and slaughter his kind. In any other circumstances, she would be his enemy. But that didn't dispel the heat gathering in his loins, or the hopeful nudge at the back of his traitorous mind.

* * *

Sango woke Kagome up at the crack of dawn. "Come on, Kagome. We've got a lot of training to make up for," Sango said firmly before she left the hut.

Kagome muttered a few obscenities she'd picked up from Inuyasha -- really, he was such a bad influence on her -- as she put on her taijiya uniform and stumbled outside.

They spent the morning -- the _entire_ morning -- on swords, and by noontime Kagome thought her arm was going to fall off. Sango insisted that this would be great practice, because she wouldn't always be well-rested and full of energy during a fight. Kagome mumbled something along the lines of, "Maybe you should just stick a knife in my thigh, since I might have to fight like that," but she quickly shut up when Sango seemed to actually consider it.

Halfway through the morning, while she was demonstrating a technique for disarming an opponent, Sango suddenly brought up a subject Kagome had been dreading.

"Kagome, I'm only going to say this once, so listen well. I haven't met the rest of the people you made an alliance with in your era, so I'm going to reserve my judgement of them until later. But this Hiei..." She frowned. "I accepted Inuyasha because of his human blood. Kirara has been with my village since before I was born. Shippou is too young to be any real threat. But watch your back with Hiei. I don't trust him."

Kagome was silent. She did trust Hiei, but she couldn't tell Sango why. That would involve revealing things about Hiei that he probably didn't want anyone else to know.

"I'm going to trust your judgement on this, Kagome, but I'm telling you, you can't trust a full-blooded youkai with enough power to have a human form. He's very strong and very dangerous. I hope you know what you're doing."

"Thank you for trusting me. You'll see, once you've been around him for a while. He's quiet, and he can be ruthless, but I don't think he's evil. He hasn't tried to take the jewel shards, and I'm pretty sure he could have if he wanted to."

Sango gave Kagome a look that said she still didn't trust him, but dropped the subject.

Kagome had to force herself to eat a quick lunch; truth to tell, the onigiri didn't look appetizing after all that training, but she knew she needed the fuel (however little it was.) Sango allowed her an additional five minutes of rest after lunch before she stood and offered Kagome a hand up.

"Now it's time for archery," Sango said, and Kagome groaned. _My arm is already killing me from this morning!_

As it turned out, archery practice was interrupted, but Kagome wasn't too happy about it.

They were standing in an open field, Sango at Kagome's side, slightly correcting her form as she held the bow taut. Just when Kagome thought she was going to pass out, something flickered at the edge of her senses, and she dropped the bow with a groan.

"Shards."

Sango wasn't sure if that was a warning or a curse, but regardless, archery practice would have to wait. Seconds later, a whirlwind appeared on the horizon, and soon Kagome found herself on the receiving end of a very enthusiastic embrace.

"Hello, Kouga."

Kouga grinned down at her. He had her bent backwards over his arm, her hair brushing the ground.

"Kagome, my woman, did you miss--"

He didn't get a chance to finish that thought as Kagome was suddenly pulled from his arms, and he was stunned to find a katana pressing against his throat. He was even more surprised to see that it wasn't the mutt who had come to Kagome's rescue.

"Hey, Kagome, who's the runt?" Kouga asked, eyeing the short youkai warily. He was small, but something about his scent made the hackles rise on his neck.

"Hiei, you can put that down now. Kouga, this is my friend Hiei. Hiei, this is Kouga, the wolf Inuyasha was talking about," said Kagome, reluctantly disengaging herself from Hiei's hold on her arm. Being in such proximity to him, of course, brought back memories of her dream, and she blushed.

"Who the hell are you to take my woman from me?" Kouga growled out.

"The girl is unmarked," Hiei replied.

"That's just a formality," Kouga said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I claimed her a long time ago. She's mine." He leaned forward and sniffed, smiling when Kagome's scent reaffirmed his suspicions. He crossed his arms and gave Hiei a cocky grin. "Besides, by her scent I'd say she's _very_ happy to see me."

Hiei thought back to the previous night and smirked. "I don't believe that it's you she's happy to see."

Kouga nearly faltered when he said that, but held onto his overconfidence. "You think you can compete with me, short-stuff? Dog-shit never could, and you're even less of a male than he is."

Hiei merely sheathed his sword and turned his back to the wolf in a veiled insult. He had nothing to prove, and if this Kouga tried to make a move, he'd find out exactly who was inferior here.

Kagome, meanwhile, was ready to sink into the ground. _Oh, gods, he knows._ She was ready to drop dead, then and there. _Where is Naraku when I need him?_

Hiei's senses were attuned to the fuming wolf behind him, but his mind was on Kagome. He'd known the wolf wasn't a threat to her; his hold on her had been far from unfriendly. Hiei had made the comment about her scent just to insult the wolf, but the girl hadn't denied it. Instead, she seemed to be turning the color of a ripe tomato. His ego swelled with masculine pride, but he scowled nonetheless. He didn't need this kind of complication in his life right now.

"Kouga, why are you here?" Kagome said, finally finding her voice. _Please don't give me the shards, please don't give me the shards..._

"I came by a few days ago, but dog-shit said you were gone. I would have waited for you, but there was a rumor of Naraku in the south," Kouga replied.

"So...why did you come?" Gods, the wolf was dense sometimes. Couldn't he just answer a straight question?

Kouga frowned. "The northern tribe is under attack. A colony of the Harpies from the east is heading our way, swearing to avenge their fallen comrades. I wanted to see my woman before I went into battle."

Kagome rolled her eyes. _Will he never learn?_ "Kouga, I've told you, I'm not your woman. It's nothing personal, it's just that--"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I should have marked you by now, but with Naraku and the shards and everything, I thought it would be best to wait until your quest was finished. If you were pupped before Naraku was defeated, you wouldn't be able to go shard hunting," Kouga said logically.

Kagome gaped at the wolf's assumption -- _Pupped?_ -- but her attention was drawn to Hiei's still figure when she heard a low growl. That, of course, reminded her of the dream again, and the heat rose in her cheeks once more.

"Um...thanks for being so considerate, Kouga. I hope you do well against the Harpies. You will let us know how it goes, right?" Kagome asked, gently trying to end the whole conversation and send Kouga on his way.

"Of course! Once I'm victorious, I'll come back to claim you. We'll be careful not to get you pupped. Just once won't hurt."

Kagome cringed at the thought. _He really doesn't get it._ "Okay, well, then, goodbye now!" she said with false cheerfulness.

"Later, Kagome! Tell dog-shit I'm sorry I couldn't spare the time to bash his skull in!" Kouga yelled in parting as he sped off.

"Yeah, will do," Kagome mumbled under her breath. She looked over at Sango, who was doing a great impression of a goldfish.

"Kagome," she said slowly, "what did he mean by your scent--"

"I haven't the faintest idea," Kagome replied quickly. She picked her bow and arrow up off the ground. "Hey, weren't you saying something about my stance before we were interrupted?"

"Huh? Oh, yes. If you'll turn your right foot a bit this way, you'll find that..."

Kagome half-listened to Sango's instruction as she looked around the clearing for Hiei, but once again, he had disappeared.

* * *

Inuyasha did not return until late that night, after dinner was over and the group was preparing for bed. He didn't say a word, but instead took his customary position in the tree overlooking Kaede's hut.

He didn't miss Kagome's worried glances, but chose to ignore it. He didn't want to tell her what had occurred deep in the forest, what Kikyo had said to him...

"_You have condemned me to death once again, Inuyasha. My hatred toward you is the only thing keeping me alive, and if you choose to leave forever, I will surely whither away and die..._"

He knew, deep in his heart, that it was a ploy to keep him from going, to entice him into her cold and fatal embrace. But that didn't take away his pain at her accusation, or the truth of her words.

"_Kikyo, I pledged myself to you, but I also vowed to avenge your death. This doesn't have to be forever. Once Naraku is defeated, if I can come back to you--_"

"_You have given me too many false pledges, Inuyasha. I cannot bear to hear yet another._"

He'd seen the Shinidama Chuu just before dawn, and the whole conversation had only taken a few minutes, but he spent the rest of the day hunting in the forest to ease the pain, forget the guilt. He'd brought back two deer carcasses and a brace of pheasant. The village would feast tomorrow on the proof of Inuyasha's inner turmoil.

Hiei had been on his way into the forest when Inuyasha passed him, but they hadn't spoken a word to each other. Inuyasha was relieved to find everything in place. He'd gone farther in his search for Kikyo than he had intended.

Inuyasha watched as Kagome brought out a steaming bowl of what smelled like ramen, setting it down next to the tree he was in and flashing him a smile before she retired for the evening. Inuyasha was glad she didn't push him to tell her.

Somehow, she always seemed to know what he needed.

* * *

Dawn's light startled Inuyasha out of a doze. _Did I really fall asleep?_ He was supposed to be watching over the village, but the day's hunt must have worn him out.

Thankfully, once again everyone was safe, despite his slip-up. He entered the hut to find Kagome already awake, chewing on something she called a "protein bar."

"Good morning, Inuyasha. You want some breakfast?" Kagome said cheerfully, offering him one of her energy bars. Inuyasha's nose turned up in disgust.

"Not on your life! I'd rather eat Shippou!"

"Hey!" Shippou cried indignantly.

"I smelled that wimpy wolf when I came back last night. He turn over the shards yet?" Inuyasha asked, trying to dislodge the kitsune teeth that had suddenly become attached to his ear.

"No, he just came to see me before an upcoming battle. I didn't ask him for the shards."

"It's probably better that way," said Inuyasha, finally managing to remove Shippou from his ear, only to have the kitsune gnaw on his arm. "Gives us more time to see if we can trust these new so-called allies of yours."

"Shippou, I think that's enough," Kagome said sternly. "You know Inuyasha wouldn't really eat you." Shippou gave Inuyasha one last bite before dropping to the floor and scampering outside.

Kagome stared sadly at Inuyasha. _Normally, he'd be threatening to kill Shippou. Something bad must have happened._

"Inuyasha? Are you okay?" Kagome asked, laying a gentle hand on his arm.

"Feh. You saying I'm weak?" he asked gruffly.

Kagome smiled. _Always so defensive._ "Of course not. Now let's find you something to eat."

* * *

The feast that night was a big occasion for the village. Kagome assisted the village women in preparing the venison, pheasant, and other foodstuffs all day long, preferring to slave over a hot cooking fire instead of slaving away in practice with Sango. Because Kagome had been spending so much time in the village over the past few months, a few of the braver girls had befriended her, and Kagome was happy to listen in on their chatter as they cooked.

Once the older women were out of earshot, Kagome found that the conversation took an abrupt turn, as usual.

"So Shina," said one of the girls in a whisper, "I heard Jiro paid a visit to you last night." Shina blushed, and the girls squealed.

"Was he good?"

"Did you try the thing with your tongue?"

"What did he say?"

"Shh, be quiet, they'll hear you," Shina said, glancing over at the older women. "I didn't get to try out the tongue thing. It was over before it really began," she said with a grimace. A couple of the girls groaned.

"I thought he was over that problem."

"It's not like he hasn't had enough practice."

"I'm not doing anything with him until he's got a lot more stamina, that's for sure."

Kagome remained silent, as she usually did when the conversations turned to boys and sex. She couldn't deny that the gossip was educational. These girls knew a whole lot more about sex than her friends in the modern era did, and from first-hand experience at that. She'd been in shock the first time she'd heard the village girls talk so openly about their sexual experiences, but by now she was used to it. She discreetly listened with interest as the girls discussed the specific tongue technique Shina was supposed to have tried, filing away the information for possible future use...someday...

_If I live that long.._.

"So Kagome," said one of the older girls, giving her a nudge, "tell us about Inuyasha."

Kagome nearly dropped a bowl full of boiling water in surprise. "Huh?" _They can't think that-- She doesn't mean that-- They think that Inuyasha and I are--_

"You know what I mean," said the girl, with a twinkle in her eyes. "You and the hanyou, off in the woods..."

"No!" Kagome squeaked. "No! It's not like that! We haven't-- I mean, we don't-- Inuyasha and I aren't like that!"

Most of the girls looked disappointed. They'd really wanted to hear about what sex with the son of a taiyoukai was like.

"Well, what about other boys? Perhaps you have some techniques from your country you could tell us about?" The rest of the girls nodded eagerly and leaned forward.

"Um, well, you see, I haven't-- That is, I don't--"

One of the girls gasped. "You don't mean to say you're a virgin?" Kagome nodded and blushed. "But you've got to be like eighteen years old!" Most of the girls in the group were a couple of years younger than Kagome.

"Don't embarrass her," admonished another girl. "Maybe she's taken a vow."

"Or she's just frigid," speculated a less friendly girl.

"It's not that," said Kagome. "I just-- Things are different in my country. Most girls wait until they're married." _Or they're supposed to, anyway._

"So, have your parents chosen a man for you to marry yet?" asked Shina.

"Don't be stupid," said another girl. "She's a miko."

"Does that mean she doesn't get to have sex?"

"Of course not. My father said that when she was younger, Kaede--"

"Enough!" cried Kagome. She really didn't want to hear about the elderly miko's past sexual exploits. "Can't we talk about something else?"

One of the girls shrugged. "Sure. Hey, did you hear about the tanuki that was stealing pickled fish from old Hana? I heard she got so mad, she..."

Kagome turned back to the rice she was cooking, grateful for the change of subject. _Things sure are different here,_ she thought. Western ideas of morality had affected Japan a lot in the future, and she couldn't help but wonder if the change was good or bad. These girls did seem to have a lot of fun...

Kagome stayed for the feast that night, thoroughly enjoying the venison provided by Inuyasha. Hiei had remained absent the entire day, but when as soon as she stepped under the cover of the trees on the path back to the well, he appeared at her side.

"Hello, Hiei," Kagome said with a smile, desperately trying to quash the sudden nervousness she felt in his presence. _Stupid dream._ "Did you find something nice to kill?"

Hiei rolled his eyes at her choice of words. _Nice?_ But he felt a sudden urge to impress the girl, so he told her.

'_**A pack of wild dogs, two boars, and an oni**_.' It wasn't as much as last time, but he'd only had a day to hunt.

"That's nice," Kagome said absently, looking off into the trees, at the sky, anywhere but the youkai walking beside her.

_Could he like me?_ she wondered. _And how would I know if he did?_ Hojo brought her presents and asked her out on dates; Kouga gave her flowers and proclaimed his undying love. But she couldn't picture Hiei doing any of those things. She had a sudden mental image of him presenting her with the severed head of an enemy and giggled.

'_**Something funny**_?'

"Oh, it's nothing. Just a silly thought."

That night, as she lay in bed with Hiei at his usual post in her window, Kagome thought about another important question. _Do I like him?_

Oh, yes, she was attracted to him. She'd been rudely awakened to that fact last night. And she wanted his friendship desperately, the challenge of the conquest making it all that more appealing. But did she _like_ him like him?

He was a thief and a killer. _But he hasn't done any of that since he joined up with Reikai, and he showed remarkable restraint with Inuyasha and Kouga, considering his past._ He was too quiet. _But he showed me his story._ He wasn't human. _But neither is Inuyasha, and I love him all the same._

Kagome sighed and turned over, defeated. For some reason, she seemed to be looking for excuses to like him. She squeezed her eyes shut and willed herself to sleep.

_Just as long as I don't have any more stupid dreams_...

_Edited 17 May 2005_


	10. Souta

**Paradox**  


Somnambulicious

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer**:  
I don't own either  
_Inuyasha_ or _YuYu_;  
Somebody else does.

* * *

**Chapter 10**:** Souta**

**Monday**.

When Kagome approached the dojo on Monday evening, she was surprised to see Yuusuke and Kurama waiting outside for her. Yuusuke was twirling a set of keys on his forefinger.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" she asked, trying to appear nonchalant in front of Kurama. She hadn't forgotten what had almost happened last Thursday night, and that made her a little nervous around him.

"Kurabara is taking over the class tonight," said Kurama. "I thought perhaps that you might enjoy some special training, in light of your upcoming visit to Makai. Kung fu is wonderful for taking on human opponents, but against demons, you're going to need something more."

"I'm already training with Sango, in case you haven't forgotten."

"That's great," said Yuusuke, "but we want you to meet someone else who's got experience fighting youkai."

"Hm?" Kagome's interest was piqued. _There are more people in the human world who fight youkai?_

"Yeah," said Yuusuke, "she can kick ass, even if she is an old hag."

"What Yuusuke means to say is that we will be taking you to meet his sensei, Genkai," Kurama said.

"Oh, okay," Kagome said, as if she understood. She didn't.

"We should get going. It'll take about fifteen minutes to get to Genkai's temple," said Kurama.

Kagome was curious, but she didn't ask any questions as she rode in the passenger seat of Yuusuke's car. The drive only took fifteen minutes, but it probably would've taken a normal driver twice that time. By the time they arrived at the temple, Kagome was clutching the door handle like a lifeline.

"We're here," Yuusuke announced, and Kagome opened her eyes to see a long flight of steps. _Wow. That's even more steps than Sunset Shrine has._ The temple grounds were immense, and Kagome couldn't see any other structures around for miles.

Her feeling of dread increased as she trudged up the steps with Kurama and Yuusuke. Who was this Genkai? Was she human? Youkai? Kagome could see various wards posted on the temple gates, but it was unclear to her exactly what they were supposed to keep out, if Kurama could make it through.

As they walked up to the main temple building, Kagome could see a young woman with blue hair sweeping the steps. _Is that Botan? What's she doing here?_ she wondered, but that assumption was tossed out the window when the young woman looked up and their eyes met.

_Crimson eyes and blue hair...is this.._.

"Is she...Genkai?" Kagome asked, suddenly confused. The youkai looked identical to what Hiei had shown her of his sister, but she didn't look like much of a fighter.

Kurama answered, since Yuusuke was gasping for air through a fit of laughter. "No, that is the Koorime Yukina. She is a resident here." He approached the blue-haired youkai, who was smiling gently at them. "Yukina, it is a pleasure to see you. Is Genkai about?"

Yukina nodded. "If you will follow me," she said, and she laid down the broom and walked around the back of the main building, with Kagome, Yuusuke, and Kurama following.

_So, this is Hiei's sister. She's so gentle and friendly. Nothing like Hiei at all_. At the thought of the fire apparition, Kagome suddenly wondered whether he'd followed them here.

In a small copse of trees behind the temple, a small, elderly woman sat in meditation with her eyes closed. Kagome was curious. _Is this Genkai? And why does she have pink hair?_

Genkai snapped her eyes open and glared at Yuusuke as he approached. "What couldn't wait until I finished my meditation, dimwit?"

"Heh. You must be getting senile, granny. This is the girl I told you about, Higurashi Kagome," Yuusuke said.

Genkai tilted her head and gave Kagome a long, appraising look. Kagome was a bit flustered, but she managed a passable bow in respect for the older woman.

Genkai remained impassive. "Now...this is all very interesting, I'm sure, but what exactly did you bring her here for?"

Yuusuke shifted uncomfortably. "Um...well, I kinda thought...you know...that you might want to train her or something."

"Train her?" Genkai kicked up an eyebrow. "Does this look like a dojo to you?"

"But you trained Kaito and--"

"And?" Genkai's eyebrow rose a little further.

"But- but-" Yuusuke sputtered.

"Um, hey, it's okay, really. She doesn't have to if she doesn't want to," Kagome interjected, smiling nervously. This had to be the most awkward situation she'd been in since- Well, since the other day when Hiei had smarted off to Kouga. _Stupid life. Stupid awkward situations,_ she grumbled to herself.

"Yes, it's quite all right," Kurama said smoothly. "In fact, that's not what I had in mind at all when I said I wanted to bring you here."

"It's...not?" asked Yuusuke. "Then why the hell didn't you _say_ so?"

Genkai chuckled. "Cheap entertainment, I'd imagine. So what did you have in mind?"

"I simply ask for your hospitality. A dojo in the middle of town isn't exactly appropriate for the kind of training Miss Higurashi needs."

"Ah." Genkai tilted her head to the side and paused for a moment before continuing. "As long as you get rid of a few of the pests out in the forest, I will allow it."

"Pests?" Kagome asked suspiciously.

Genkai turned and started to walk back to her meditation spot. "Oh, you'll see," she replied through muffled laughter. "You'll see."

Kagome frowned slightly. _That doesn't sound good._ She shrugged it off and bowed toward Genkai's retreating form. "Thank you for allowing me to practice here," she said quietly.

Genkai grinned and looked over at Yuusuke. "You could learn a thing or two from her about the proper way to treat your elders," she said.

"Yeah yeah, whatever, old hag."

Genkai chose to ignore that for now and addressed the Koorime. "Yukina, would you be so kind as to give Kagome a little tour of our temple?"

"Of course, I'd be happy to," Yukina said with a sweet smile. "Come with me and I'll show you around."

Yukina showed Kagome the various buildings before taking her on a stroll around the perimeter of the grounds. Kagome wasn't certain how well Yukina knew Hiei -- she knew that Hiei hadn't told Yukina he was her brother -- so she decided to approach the subject in a roundabout manner as they walked.

"How well do you know Kurama and the others?" Kagome asked.

"They freed me once. I was being held prisoner by a crime lord, and it was Yuusuke and the others who freed me. Yuusuke comes to train with Genkai often. He is rude, but he has a kind heart. Kurabara is a good friend. He comes here often as well, and brings his cat. I do not see Hiei and Kurama much, but I know that Hiei watches over the temple at times," Yukina said with a wistful smile.

"What do you think of Hiei?"

"He is quiet, so I do not know him well. I can feel a great discord in him, stains of the past on his soul, but he has never been anything but kind to me." Yukina smiled again, and then whispered, "I think he protects me." Then she gave Kagome a sly look. "You ask about Hiei in particular. Why is that?"

Kagome blushed. "Oh, he's just so quiet. I was just wondering about him," she said, avoiding Yukina's gaze. Yukina had a twinkle in her eyes, but she didn't press the issue further.

By the time Yukina and Kagome got back to Genkai and the others, Yuusuke was nursing a couple of bumps on his head, and Kurama was shaking his head. Kagome agreed to come and train at the temple every night instead of going to kung fu.

"Hey, Kurama? Don't you have a class to teach?" Yuusuke asked. He suspected that Kurama had a thing for the girl.

"Kurabara is more than capable of teaching the class for me. I will still teach on the weekends, when Kagome is not here. You can't train her, because Keiko would have your head for leaving her alone every night, and I'm afraid Hiei isn't much company for her." Kurama could barely hear a growl from the trees overhead at that last comment, and Youko smirked. _If he thinks we're going to back down on this one, he's sorely mistaken._

Kagome felt compelled to defend the fire apparition. "Hey, don't talk that way about Hiei! I thought you guys were friends! And besides, I happen to enjoy his company."

Yuusuke and Kurama stared blankly at her, while Yukina gave her a knowing smile and Genkai just chuckled. _Hiei and Kurama, fighting for the affections of the same young woman...this is going to be entertaining indeed._

They said their goodbyes, and Genkai and Yukina watched as Kurama, Yuusuke, and Kagome walked back down the shrine steps to Yuusuke's waiting car.

Yukina smiled as she thought about what Kagome said about Hiei. _I think you will be good for him, Kagome. I think you are just what my brother needs to heal his troubled soul._

* * *

It was late by the time Kagome got home, and she was surprised to find not Mama, but Souta waiting up for her.

"What's the matter, little guy? Have a nightmare and couldn't sleep?" Kagome asked, ruffling her little brother's hair.

"Hey, I'm not little!" Souta protested, ducking away from her. "I just wanted to see my big sister. I haven't seen much of you lately, you know. Is something going on with the jewel?"

Kagome's heart clenched at his words. _Poor Souta...when's the last time I even spared him a thought? I'm such an awful big sister._ "It's nothing big," Kagome said with a shrug. "I've just been doing some extra training with some new friends of mine here in my era."

Souta's eyes widened. "Do they fight youkai too?"

Kagome nodded. "Yep, they sure do." She figured it wouldn't hurt to tell Souta at least that much; after all, he was more than aware of the existence of youkai.

"That's so cool, Kagome. Haru is always bragging about his big brother because he's so good at kendo, but I keep telling them that my big sis could kick his ass any day of the week!"

Kagome giggled at Souta's confidence in her. "You're not trying to get me in a fight, are you?"

Souta shook his head. "No, but they keep calling me a liar. I wish I could fight like you, Kagome."

"The only reason I fight is because I have to. I fight to protect myself and my friends. There's no honor in picking a fight just to prove yourself."

"I know that, sis. I just thought that maybe if I was tougher, they wouldn't pick on me so much."

"I'll tell you what," Kagome said with a sly grin, "you show me where your stash of candy is, and I'll show you a few moves. But you have to promise you won't fight unless you're defending yourself."

"You've got a deal!" Souta grabbed Kagome by the hand and led her to the closet that she was well aware he kept his secret stash of snacks in. Kagome picked out a bag of lemon chews, intending to give it to Hiei later that night.

"So, what do you want to learn first?" Kagome asked, once they were outside under the Goshinboku. It was overcast, and the reflection of the city lights gave them plenty of light to see by.

"How about some kendo?" Souta asked eagerly. "I've always wanted to learn how to use a sword!"

Kagome shook her head. "You need to learn some more basic martial arts before you move on to weapons. I'll show you the first kata that Sango taught me. Now watch carefully." Kagome went through the motions first while Souta watched, and then repeated it, this time explaining what she was doing.

"You start with the basic fighting stance, left foot forward. Keep your hands relaxed, so that you're ready to block, or to strike with an open palm or a closed fist. We start with an open-palmed strike, like so, and then a block with the left hand, and remember to keep your fingers extended. Step back to dodge, and then forward at a 45-degree angle with a punch. You can see how the momentum of my body is behind the strike, right? And you have to remember to keep your elbows in." Kagome went through the moves slowly, explaining each of the ten points of the kata thoroughly. Then she and Souta went through it together a couple of times before she watched him try it on his own.

"You forgot to block here," Kagome said, correcting him. "And keep your weight centered over your legs. Don't lean too far forward, or you'll be easy to knock down."

"Man, sis, this is a lot to remember." Kagome could see that Souta was getting frustrated.

"I had a really hard time at first, too. Taking dance when I was little helped, but there is a lot to remember. I'll draw up some diagrams for you so you can practice on your own, and I'll practice with you when I can. Once you've got these moves down, I'll add some more for you, okay?"

"Sure thing, sis! And then maybe you can show me some of the cool taijiya stuff, too?"

Kagome laughed at the hopeful look in his eyes. "Sure thing, little brother." _But I hope you never, ever get the opportunity to use what I teach you. For your own sake, Souta._

* * *

Hiei was waiting for her when she finally went to bed. He'd watched with amusement as the girl attempted to teach her brother some moves. The boy had obviously never had any training.

He felt a bit envious at their easy relationship with each other. It was something he and Yukina could never have. Even if he did gather the courage to tell her the truth about himself, it wasn't in his nature to be outwardly affectionate, the way Kagome and her brother were.

He'd followed Kagome and Yukina earlier, of course, keeping watch over them as they walked the perimeter of the temple grounds. Hearing Yukina speak so kindly of him gave him hope, but he wasn't entirely surprised at what she said about him. After all, Yukina was just the type of person who looked for the good in everyone, and she was the one person toward whom he'd never shown any animosity.

Of course, Kagome's defense of him to the fox had pleased him to no end. The look on Kurama's face when she'd told him that she actually _enjoyed_ Hiei's company was priceless, something he'd never forget. Kurama needed a blow to his ego every once in a while, in Hiei's opinion. The fox in his head was entirely too full of himself.

There was also the satisfaction of hearing Kagome actually _say_ it, and in front of other people, no less. That pleased him in ways he'd rather not acknowledge, much less explore.

Kagome gave him a bright smile when she entered the bedroom after a short shower. She tossed him the bag of candies.

"That's Souta's payment for me teaching him to fight," Kagome said with a grin. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen you eat anything that's not sweet. But those have vitamin C in them, so at least they've got _some_ nutritional value."

Hiei shrugged and popped one of the lemon-flavored candies into his mouth.

Kagome turned off the light and snuggled down into the covers. All was silent for a few minutes, and then--

"Hiei?"

_**Yes**_?

"I meant what I said earlier. I really do enjoy your company."

_**You seem to enjoy the fox's company as well**_.

Kagome was confused. Hiei's mental 'voice' was as calm and monotonous as usual, but the way he said that... _Is he...could he be jealous? Hmph. It's not like he has any right to be._

"Of course I do. I enjoy the company of all of my _friends_," she replied, emphasizing the last word. "But you-- Oh, never mind. I don't know why I told you that. Goodnight, Hiei." Kagome turned her back to him and closed her eyes. The whole situation was reminding her a bit too much of Inuyasha and Kouga's rivalry.

Hiei tried to ignore his own annoyance at her ambiguous answer and instead concentrated on getting the chewy candy out of his teeth.

The nights spent in Kagome's room were becoming unbearably long for Hiei. While it was true that her presence did calm the opposing forces of his nature, there was an underlying restlessness that he couldn't pinpoint for the longest time, and when he realized what it was, he was perplexed.

The Jagan was reacting to her.

It was true that the implant was a separate entity from him, but he'd had it for so long that he sometimes forgot. Of course, he'd been harshly reminded of that fact every time he'd tried to use the dragon, every time he gave himself over to the full power of the Jagan and lost his control. And for the first time since he'd had it implanted, Hiei was getting the strangest feeling that it wanted something.

And that something was the girl.

Or maybe it wasn't. Maybe it wanted something _from_ her. But Hiei wasn't particularly inclined to find out what that was. After all, the Jagan was likely to harm her, and Hiei wasn't about to risk bringing the full wrath of Reikai down on himself because of the whims of the savage eye artificially embedded in his forehead.

He was the Jagan's master. He would not allow it to use him for its own foolish vagaries.

But he couldn't deny that the Jagan wasn't entirely responsible for the pull he felt toward the girl.

He found himself both relieved and disappointed that there hadn't been a repeat of that...interesting...dream she'd had in the Sengoku Jidai. Was it just a one-time thing, something her subconscious conjured up to distract itself from the disagreement she'd had with Inuyasha? Or was it something more permanent?

_She did seem to become aroused when I pulled her away from Kouga,_ he mused. And his own body's reaction to her scent had been undeniable. If she had another one of those dreams, gods help him, but he might not be able to control himself in such close quarters. And nothing good could come of that, he told himself firmly.

_She is female. She is attractive. My reaction to her is physical, nothing more._ But he couldn't ignore the tiny voice in his mind that whispered back:

_It is never good to lie to yourself_.

* * *

**Tuesday**.

The next evening, it didn't take long for Kagome to second-guess her decision to train - _really_ train - with Kurama. She was half certain that he was out to kill her.

"You're too focused on the sword, Kagome. You've got to keep your senses attuned to your surroundings. If you concentrate too much on a single opponent, it leaves you open to attack from others," Kurama told her for what must have been the sixteenth time.

"Can't we take a break? I'm exhausted!" Kagome complained in what she hoped was her most pitiful voice. She'd learned a thing or two about manipulation from Shippou.

"We've only been practicing for an hour, but I suppose a short break wouldn't hurt."

"Excellent." Genkai's voice startled Kagome to the point where she nearly dropped her sword. "I'd like to discuss your strategy for defeating Naraku," she said.

"You've...been watching?" asked Kagome, half-embarrassed.

Genkai snorted. "Of course. Come, sit down." Kurama left to go and fetch some water.

Kagome told Genkai about the plan she had come up with, the one she had told Koenma and the others. It was designed to take full advantage of the team's best strengths and Naraku's greatest weaknesses, taking into account all of his defenses.

"It is a good plan," Genkai proclaimed, "but you need to have something to fall back on. You're making some rather glaring assumptions, and if you're wrong about Naraku on any of several points, you will fail."

Kagome sighed deeply. "I haven't mentioned this to anyone else, but I do have a backup plan. It will require Sesshoumaru's cooperation, so I'll have to tell him, but there are reasons I don't want any of the others to know. It could cause a lot of trouble, and Inuyasha in particular won't be happy about it." Kagome ran her backup plan by Genkai, and was pleased when she approved.

"I have to say that I'm surprised at your inventiveness, Kagome. I admit that when I first met you, I didn't hold a lot of hope for Naraku's defeat, but you may well prove me wrong. I hope that you do. But you have a long road ahead of you yet, and many obstacles that could destroy you before you ever reach the final battle."

"Makai," said Kagome grimly.

Genkai nodded. "You have progressed amazingly for one with such little training, but the demon world is a hazardous place for humans, female in particular. Youkai will seek you out and hunt you down just because they'll see you as an easy meal, or worse. You and Sango may be a liability to the team."

"We have no choice but to go. I am the only one alive who can sense the jewel. I am the only one on the team with the power to purify it. And Sango cannot be left out. She can handle herself better than I can, and she deserves a hand in the justice due her family."

Genkai thought over this for a while before she spoke again. "You said that one of your allies in the past is a powerful monk, correct?"

Kagome nodded. "Miroku."

"Then I suppose he is skilled in the production of ofuda, is he not?"

"Yes. I've seen him take down some powerful youkai with nothing more than a slip of paper and ink, and his wards have always been successful at keeping youkai at bay." Kagome grinned, remembering the times Miroku and Kaede had sealed Inuyasha in a hut, for one reason or another.

"I have some scrolls I'd like you to show this friend of yours. I have something in mind that might allow you to mask your humanity, and with a little cosmetic help, you and Sango just might be able to pass as youkai to the casual observer."

"But what about Kurabara and Yuusuke? Won't they have the same trouble?" Kagome asked.

"Those two have more experience in Makai. Their names are well-known because of the Tournament, and they won't be seen as easy targets. And there is more to Yuusuke than meets the eye. Human blood is not all that courses through that one's veins."

Kagome blinked in surprise. "You mean he's a hanyou?"

"No. His youkai ancestry is far more diluted than that. But his youkai blood was awakened, and he can transform under the right circumstances."

Kurama stepped into the clearing and bowed toward Genkai. "It's been far longer than five minutes. We should resume training." With a groan, Kagome stood and unsheathed her wakizashi.

* * *

Kagome was sore from head to toe by the time her first real "lesson" with Kurama was over. She absently rubbed her right shoulder as she and Kurama walked down to Yuusuke's car.

"You never did tell me how you convinced Yuusuke to loan you his car," Kagome said as Kurama unlocked the passenger side door.

"Someone insulted him at a party three months ago, and he got into a fight. Keiko doesn't know about it." Kurama opened the door for her and waited for her to get in.

It took a moment for what Kurama said to register with Kagome. "You mean... You mean you blackmailed him?" she asked incredulously.

"Nothing of the sort, I assure you. I merely reminded him that I had not divulged this information to Keiko, and in a show of appreciation, Yuusuke offered the use of his car to me," Kurama said with a smile.

"You _did_ blackmail him!" Kagome giggled despite herself as she sat down.

"Again, I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." Kurama shut the passenger side door and went around the car to the driver's side. Kagome leaned across and unlocked the door for him.

"That's not very nice," Kagome said, shaking her head, "but still, I'm glad I don't have to walk here from the bus stop."

"Indeed. I doubt you could make it the three miles to the nearest--" Kurama stopped short when he happened to glance in the rear view mirror and see a pair of red eyes staring back at him. Startled, he turned around to see who else was in the car with them.

Hiei was sitting in the backseat, arms folded across his chest and looking as bored as ever.

"Are all of your conversations this boring?" Hiei asked.

"You ask as though you don't listen in on every conversation we have," Kurama said, frowning at the fire apparition who had so rudely interrupted his "alone time" with Kagome. Youko was angry. '_He's sabotaging us on purpose. Make him stop._'

"Besides," Kurama added as he started the car, "even if my conversational skills were lackluster, I assure you that Kagome finds even boring conversation better than none at all."

"I doubt that you have spent enough time with her to know her likes and dislikes so well, fox."

"Perhaps not, but I assure you that I am working on correcting that." _Or I was, until someone so rudely interrupted me._

"Um...guys? You do know that I'm sitting right here, don't you?" Kagome asked. She didn't know whether to be flattered or embarrassed by their behavior, so she settled on a mix of the two.

"Indeed, Kagome," Kurama said, "I am quite aware of your presence."

Kagome glanced back at Hiei just in time to see him roll his eyes at Kurama's words. She barely suppressed a giggle.

'_Hiei? Why are you two fighting like this, anyway? I thought you guys were friends_.'

'_**It is nothing to worry yourself over**_.'

Kurama didn't miss the looks Hiei and Kagome were giving each other, and it didn't take him long to figure out that they were having a mental conversation.

'_Interrupt them,_' Youko insisted. '_Make her see that we're better company than he is._' Youko still hadn't forgotten Kagome's defense of Hiei.

"Perhaps I'm going about this the wrong way," Kurama said, glancing up at Hiei's reflection in the mirror. "You spend so much time with Kagome. Maybe you'd like to tell me about her likes and dislikes."

Youko was pleased with Kurama's tactic. '_Ooh, good one. Hiei has never taken much of an interest in humans. He won't be able to answer that._'

"Um...guys?" Kagome looked from one male to the other, wondering what had brought this on. _Is this normal for them?_

Hiei, meanwhile, was conflicted. He was being drawn into a game he had no desire to play. After all, if he wouldn't admit to himself that he had an interest in the girl, he hardly wanted to show how much he knew about her to someone else. But then again, Hiei was never one to back down from a challenge.

"Kagome dislikes being talked about as though she's not here," Hiei said with a smirk. Kagome gave him a grateful smile.

'_Well, shit. He sure turned that one back around on you,_' said Youko.

'_Us, Youko. Us_.'

'_Don't remind me. Just fix it_.'

"Ah, forgive me, Kagome. Perhaps if I had spent more time with you, I'd have never made such a mistake." Kurama flashed her his sexiest grin, and Kagome couldn't help but smile back. "It is a problem I look forward to solving in the near future."

"Um...okay?" _Brilliant, Kagome. With witty remarks like that, you'll be sure to die an old maid. In a house with fifty cats. And lots and lots of bric-a-brac._

"It is such a pity that our acquaintance has been limited to the dojo," Kurama continued. He reached over with his left hand to finger the tendrils of hair at the nape of her neck, a touch so soft that it sent shivers down her spine. "Kagome..."

"Yes?" she asked, in a daze.

"You will be coming with me to dinner tomorrow night. At my apartment. After our lesson is over."

"I...will?"

Kurama nodded and continued to stroke the back of her neck. "Yes, you will." Hiei's low growl in the backseat only heightened Kurama's sense of victory.

"Oh...okay, then." She just sat there, too stunned to move. She didn't say a word for the rest of the drive, and failed to notice when the car came to a stop.

"Kagome?" Kurama could feel Youko's ego swelling with each passing second that the girl sat there, bewitched by his charm.

"Mm hm?"

"We're at the shrine."

"The shrine? Oh!" Kagome blushed and ducked her head. "I won't be keeping you, then. Have a good evening, Kurama." She picked up her bag and opened the car door. She stopped when she felt Kurama's hand on her knee.

"If you like, I could escort you up to the--"

'**_Don't press your luck, fox_**.'

Satisfied that he'd gotten under Hiei's skin, Kurama grinned. "I had probably better get the car back to Yuusuke. I'm sure he's missed it. Good night, Kagome."

"Good night, Kurama," Kagome said as she exited the car.

* * *

When they reached the top of the stairs, Hiei prepared to leap to his usual post in the tree, but stopped when he felt Kagome's hand on his arm.

"Hiei? Did I just agree to a _date_ with Kurama?"

Hiei snorted. "So it would seem."

"Oh. Okay. I'll see you later tonight." Kagome turned and walked into the house.

Souta jumped up from the couch when he heard the front door close. "Hey, sis! I've been practicing, just like you told me! Come on, I'll show you!" Souta tugged at the hem of her shirt, and Kagome laughed as her little brother dragged her toward the back door.

Mama smiled when Souta and Kagome came into the kitchen, headed for the back door. "Hold it, kids. Whatever it is can wait until after dinner. It's getting cold."

"Aw, Mom, I was just going to show Kagome--"

"Dinner?" Kagome asked. She was suddenly reminded of just how hungry she was. "You can show me after dinner, Souta. I promise."

Once they were seated at the table, Grandpa started prying Kagome for information about her new allies in the modern era.

"So you say they fight youkai as well?" he asked.

Kagome nodded. "They are the ones who keep the modern era safe from youkai," she explained.

Grandpa frowned. "Young lady, you can't go around trusting everyone you meet. Are you certain they are not after the jewel? They could be youkai in disguise."

"I trust them, but I'm careful. And I know they're not youkai in disguise because--" She shut herself off there. _Oh, brilliant, Kagome._

"You know they're not youkai in disguise...how?" Grandpa regarded her suspiciously. He suddenly gasped. "They _are_ youkai! Oh, my granddaughter has gone and allied herself with more of those abominable creatures! Our ancestors must be furious!"

Kagome winced. "They're not _bad_ youkai, Grandpa."

"If they're not so bad, why haven't you introduced them to us? Oh, my poor young granddaughter, traipsing about with all these youkai--"

"Hey! I don't traipse!"

"--without properly introducing them to her family!"

"We need their help to defeat Naraku!"

"She won't take the sacred sake I offer back to the Sengoku Jidai, but the first youkai that comes along in the modern era, and she goes and teams up with them!"

Kagome glanced over at her mother, looking for support. Mama shook her head.

"We would like to meet these new friends of yours," Mama said as she sipped her tea. "You did say one of them was guarding you at all times."

"Yeah! Are they as cool as Inuyasha?" asked Souta excitedly.

Kagome sighed in defeat. "What are we having for dessert?"

"Don't you change the subject, young lady," Grandpa scolded.

"I'm going to have a hard time convincing him to meet you. If there's something for him to eat, he'll be more likely to come in," Kagome explained.

"I wasn't planning for dessert tonight, but we have some leftover cake in the refrigerator," Mama offered.

"Good. You go ahead and get the cake out, and I'll see if I can get him to come inside."

Outside, Kagome sat down and looked up into the tree. "Hiei? Are you there?"

'_**You want to show me to your family**_.' She couldn't see him, but Hiei's voice was strong and clear in her mind.

"I would like for you to meet them. They won't worry so much once they've seen you."

'_**You think they'll rest easier after they meet **_me?' Hiei asked bemusedly.

"Oh, come on, Hiei. You're not all that bad. And besides, you don't look like any of the youkai in Grandpa's old books. At least you're not a big green monster with horns or claws or something."

Hiei snorted at that. _If you only knew..._

There was a long pause, and Kagome's shoulders slumped in defeat. She started to walk back to the house, but stopped when she heard Hiei's voice.

"There will be cake?"

Kagome turned to see Hiei standing behind her. She flashed him a grateful smile, and he was surprised when she grabbed his hand, her calloused fingers intertwining with his own.

"Come on," she said, tugging him toward the house, "I hid all of Grandpa's ofuda the other day, so he won't try to exorcise you."

Mama was setting the plates of cake on the table when Kagome and Hiei walked in. Mama and Souta stared at the strange youkai holding Kagome's hand.

Whatever they had expected, this wasn't it. And why was Kagome holding his hand?

Kagome dropped Hiei's hand when she saw her mother staring. "Where did Grandpa go?" she asked.

Before Mama could answer, the old man barged into the kitchen, waving a yellow piece of paper. "Youkai be--" Before he could reach Hiei, the youkai disappeared.

Grandpa blinked. "What--" He turned around to find the strange youkai standing behind him.

"Grandpa, what is that?" Kagome asked, eyeing the paper in his hand.

"Someone stole my ofuda, so I had to improvise," Grandpa said, holding up what appeared to be a yellow Post-It Note, with the ward written in ballpoint pen.

"This is my friend, Hiei, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to stick anything on him. Hiei, this is my Grandpa, Mama, and Souta," Kagome said.

"How come you don't have doggy ears like Inuyasha?" Souta asked.

"He's not that kind of youkai, Souta," Kagome said, answering for the silent youkai.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hiei. Won't you sit down and have some cake?" asked Mama. _He's so small...surely he can't be much of a threat,_ she thought.

Hiei grunted and instead picked up a plate off of the table, eating the cake as he stood near the doorway.

"You're not very big," Souta observed. "Are you sure you can guard my sister?"

"Souta!" Kagome was horrified that her little brother had just insulted one of the most dangerous youkai she'd ever met, but apparently Hiei was amused.

Hiei grinned and held up his right fist. Everyone gasped when a sword of black flame suddenly appeared, and the temperature in the room suddenly got a whole lot warmer. The sword dissipated, and Hiei crossed his arms over his chest.

"Wow," said Souta. He looked at Kagome. "Can Inuyasha do that?"

Kagome shook her head. "Different kinds of youkai have different powers."

"So who would win in a fight between you and Inuyasha?" Souta asked. He'd thought Inuyasha was the strongest person he'd ever met, but this guy could do the cool fire sword thing, and he was so _fast_.

"I would. Of course."

"But what about Inuyasha's Hijinkessou?"

"Too weak."

"The Kaze no Kizu?"

"Too slow."

"The--"

"Souta, that's enough. They're not going to be fighting each other, so it's not really important," Kagome said, interrupting Souta's interrogation. _Although I have to admit, it would be a spectacular fight,_ she thought to herself.

Kagome's family stared as Hiei finished off the cake, consuming every last crumb on the plate.

"Would you like another piece?" Mama asked.

Hiei shook his head. He was getting tired of being in the presence of so many humans, and he'd picked up on the presence of a Saimyoushou about a kilometer away.

"I must be leaving," he said, and before anyone could protest, he was gone.

"Well...that was...interesting," Mama said. "He certainly doesn't have much to say."

"Don't take it personally. He's always like that," said Kagome.

"I don't like the look of him. Reminds me of those teenagers I caught smoking behind the well house," said Grandpa with a frown.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Grandpa, those were _gang_ members. You can hardly compare Hiei to them." _At least, not anymore, I think._

"He seemed pretty cool to me," said Souta. "Mom, can I wear a dress like that?" Kagome collapsed in a fit of giggles while Mama just shook her head.

"I hope you're being careful, Kagome. I'd hate to think that you were completely trusting someone you just met," said Mama as she cleared away the dishes.

"I've handled myself just fine for the past two and a half years, Mama. I know what I'm doing." She looked over at Souta and smiled. "Are you ready to practice?"

Souta jumped out of the chair. "Come on! I'll race you to the tree!" Mama shook her head as her two children raced out the back door, and she smiled. It was nice to see the two of them playing together again.

* * *

Later that night, as she settled down onto her bed, Kagome looked over at Hiei on the windowsill.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet my family. It really means a lot to me," she said. "Why did you run off so fast, by the way?"

"Saimyoushou."

Kagome gasped. "That's the first one in a while now. Did it see anything?"

Hiei shook his head. "It was dead long before it was close enough to observe anything."

"Thank you, Hiei. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you." Hiei rolled his eyes at that, and Kagome sat up in bed. "I mean it! If I didn't have you here, Naraku would be watching my every move!" She shuddered at the thought.

Hiei didn't like the sudden fear emanating from the girl, so he decided to distract her.

"Your family are nothing like you," he said.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"Your spiritual energy is strong for a human. But I sense nothing more from your family than any other normal human, with the exception of your mother, and even she pales in comparison."

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know why that is." She smiled at him. "You're not a whole lot like your sister, either."

"She and I are nothing alike."

"I don't know about that," Kagome said. "You both have the same sort of thoughtful look about you. You're both understated, with a quiet sort of intelligence that I don't see very often. And you both have that inner strength that has nothing to do with your fighting ability."

Hiei was surprised at her insight. He'd been so caught up in the differences between himself and Yukina that he'd never even thought to look for something they might have in common.

"Besides," Kagome continued, "you have the same eyes. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. Maybe that means that deep down, you and Yukina have a lot more in common than you know."

Hiei mused that over a bit. If he hadn't been tossed aside like vermin hours after his birth...would he have turned out like Yukina? He'd always thought that it was in his nature to be cruel and ruthless. Could it be that he was merely a product of his environment? He didn't like the thought. Hiei was what he _made_ of himself.

By the time Hiei broke away from his reverie, Kagome was already asleep.

* * *

**Wednesday**...

Kagome checked her makeup for the third time. It was strange, preparing for a date in the bathroom at Genkai's temple. She had changed back into the grey skirt of her school uniform, but wore a simple black t-shirt instead of the white shirt and vest of the uniform, hoping to make herself look a little less girlish. She'd washed away the sweat and grime that had accumulated on her face during the sword training, and applied a bit of powder to take away the shine. A little lip gloss, a quick brush through her hair, and she was ready to go.

Yukina was waiting for her when she left the restroom. "You changed back into your school clothes? Are you going somewhere?" she asked curiously.

Kagome smiled sheepishly. "Kurama is making dinner for me at his apartment tonight. I didn't want to go in my workout clothes."

A slight frown crossed Yukina's face, but she quickly recovered. "Is he courting you?" she asked.

"Not really," replied Kagome. "I don't even know if this is a real date."

"Do you like him?" Yukina had thought that Kagome was interested in Hiei, but now she wasn't so sure.

"I guess so," said Kagome, blushing. "He's very handsome. And he's polite, and he treats me well. But..."

"But?" Yukina prodded. "There's someone else you like too?" She was going out on a limb there, but she had to know.

"Maybe," Kagome replied carefully. "But I don't know if he likes me."

Yukina considered that for a moment. Hiei's moods were so difficult to read. "Does he act differently around you than he does with other people?"

"I think so. He's usually more open with me, but it could be just because he doesn't have a lot of friends. I don't have any reason to think that he sees me than more than just a friend."

"It never hurts to keep your options open," Yukina suggested.

Kagome smiled. "Thanks for talking to me about this, Yukina. I don't have any girlfriends here that I can really talk to."

Yukina gave her a light hug. "Be careful, Kagome. I'd hate to see you get hurt."

Kagome heard a light noise behind her, and turned to see Kurama walking toward them.

"You look lovely, Kagome. Are you ready to go?" he asked.

Kagome blushed. "Thank you. I guess I am ready." From the compliment, Kagome gathered that Kurama did consider this a date.

"Very well. Good evening, Yukina," he said, offering Kagome his arm. She took it, with another blush that delighted Youko, and they walked back to Yuusuke's car.

Kagome nervously pulled at her skirt as they drove to Kurama's apartment. She didn't have much experience with dating. In fact, other than her dates with Hojo a couple of years ago, she hadn't gone out with a boy at all. And here she was, sitting next to one of the hottest guys she'd ever seen, and he was taking her back to his _apartment_ for a private dinner. What had she gotten herself into?

Kurama was of two minds about her skittishness. On the one hand, he found her innocence to be absolutely irresistible, and every time she ducked her head and blushed, his masculine pride soared. But on the other hand, he didn't want her to be too nervous around him. He had to find some way to relax her.

"I decided to order out dinner instead of preparing it myself," he said conversationally. "I hope you don't mind. I didn't think you'd want to wait for me to cook, when you're probably quite hungry after your lesson."

"Oh, I don't mind at all. You cooked for me last time, and it was wonderful. What are we having tonight?"

"There's a nice Chinese place near my apartment that delivers. I have their menu, so you can pick out whatever you like."

"That sounds great," Kagome said with a smile. "I haven't had Chinese in a while."

Kurama stopped the car in front of the apartment building and walked around it to open the door for Kagome. He offered her a hand, and she took it with yet another blush as he helped her out of the car. _He certainly can turn on the charm,_ she thought.

Once they had ordered -- dun dun noodles with shredded chicken for Kagome, and suan la show chow for Kurama, with enough crab rangoon and bean curd soup for both of them -- they sat down on the couch in the living area to wait for the food.

"They serve a wonderful dim sum brunch on Sundays," Kurama said. "You should go with me sometime."

Kagome smiled wistfully. "Maybe. If I'm ever here on a Sunday," she said, suddenly reminded that she spent every weekend in the past, searching for the jewel shards. _Not much longer...and then, maybe everything can go back to normal._ But Kagome highly doubted that she'd ever have anything close to resembling a normal life again.

Kurama could see that Kagome's thoughts had wandered to other things. '_She's upset,_' Youko observed. '_You reminded her about the quest. Take her mind off of it._'

Kurama reached over and took Kagome's hand, lightly running his fingers lightly over the calloused pad of her thumb. "What do you plan to do after it's all over?" he asked softly.

Kagome was entranced by his light touch. "I don't know for sure. It depends on a lot of things. Now that Sango, Miroku, and Shippou will be coming here, I've got a lot more to think about. They're going to need a place to live, and some way of making a living."

"Always thinking of others first. What about yourself? What do _you_ want?"

Kagome laughed. "That's another good question. I can't see myself ever settling into an office job, not after what I've been through. I've thought about taking over at the shrine; Grandpa is getting older, and I know Mama has been wanting to teach for years. But still, I'm a girl, and the shrine would need a priest."

"Could your friend Miroku not perform that duty?" Kurama asked, continuing to stoke her hand.

"The thought had crossed my mind. I don't know if Grandpa would be to happy about it, since Miroku is a Buddhist monk, but it's a possibility. Grandpa might be more inclined to go along with it once he sees the kind of spiritual power Miroku has."

Kurama smiled at her. "You've told me what you've thought about doing, but you still haven't said anything about what you _want_ to do, Kagome. Have you thought about university? Is living in a shrine for the rest of your life really what you want to do?"

Kagome shrugged. "With the things I know now, and the power that I have, I could turn Sunset Shrine into something really special, even more so with Miroku's help. I've always wanted to help people, and the world today is almost devoid of spirituality. Maybe that's what I should do once this is all over. But what about you? What are your plans for the future?"

"I am studying botany at the university. I'm not sure about my long-term plans, though. Like you, I would never be satisfied with an office job. Perhaps field research would be an ideal solution. After all, Youko and I draw our strength from being in a natural environment."

The doorbell rang, and Kurama stood to answer the door. After he paid for their meal and tipped the deliveryman, he set the bag down on the kitchen counter and pulled out some plates.

"Would you like me to get you something to drink?" Kagome asked as Kurama dished out the food.

"I'll take care of everything," he said. "You can go ahead and sit down at the table, if you like."

A few minutes later, the two of them were seated at the table, with the fragrant meal set out before them. Kagome attacked her dun dun noodles enthusiastically, savoring the flavor of the spicy peanut sauce.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Kurama said, amusement coloring his voice. "You should try the crab rangoon." He speared one of said appetizers with his chopsticks and reached across the table to offer it to her. Kagome felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she opened her mouth and took the crab rangoon between her teeth, gently pulling it off of the chopsticks.

Kurama smiled as he watched her. While it was true that she wasn't the type of girl he was usually attracted to -- normally, he liked girls who were a bit more academically inclined -- he found himself enjoying her company nonetheless. He was having second thoughts about letting Youko feed on her energy even a tiny bit.

'_But then what would be the point of all this?_' Youko asked. '_We agreed that we both wanted a taste. Doesn't she look delicious with her hair down?_'

'_I would be satisfied even if it was just dinner with a good friend,_' Kurama said. '_But yes, she does look nice with her hair down. She always has it pulled back during training._'

After dinner, Kurama and Kagome went out on the tiny balcony to eat sherbert and watch the sunset. Kagome laughed as she told him a story about one of Shippou's pranks.

"...but by the time Inuyasha clawed his way out from under the mountain of screaming mushrooms, Shippou was long gone. And it took him a week to get the smell out of his clothes!"

Kurama laughed. "It sounds like Shippou is quite a handful. Have you thought about what he's going to do after all this is over?"

"I'm not leaving him, and I won't allow anyone to send him away. Shippou will live with me, wherever I am. I'd like to send him to school, but his illusions aren't good enough for him to pass as human yet. It's too bad, because he's already learning to write, and he knows his multiplication tables."

"Perhaps I could be of some assistance with that," offered Kurama. "A kit his age should have no trouble passing as human, once he's been taught properly."

Kagome flashed him a grateful smile. "Would you? I feel bad for Shippou, because it's been so long since he's been around another kitsune."

"It would be my pleasure," said Kurama.

Kagome glanced down at her watch and sighed. "It's nine o'clock already. My mother is going to have a fit if I don't get home soon. I do have school tomorrow, after all."

"Come on," Kurama said, taking her hand, "I'll drive you home."

Sunset Shrine was only a few minutes away by car, and when they arrived, Kurama stopped the car and turned to look at Kagome.

"I have had a wonderful evening with you," he said, reaching out to gently stroke her cheek. "Perhaps you will give me the pleasure of your company another time?"

Kagome smiled and nodded, but some part of her felt guilty for accepting another date with him. She couldn't, for the life of her, figure out why.

Her breath caught in her throat when Kurama's hand slid around to the back of her head, and he gently pulled her toward him. When his lips brushed across hers in a feather soft caress, she closed her eyes and laid her hand on his shoulder, losing herself in the moment.

Kurama felt Youko pull the tiniest tendril of energy from Kagome through the kiss. It was small enough for her to replenish easily, but the flavor was heavenly, and he was struggling to stop Youko from taking more.

Kurama was about to deepen the kiss when a soft thump drew his attention. He pulled back from Kagome and was not too surprised to see Hiei crouched on the hood of the car, his crimson eyes blazing with anger.

'_**I warned you not to feed on the girl,**_' Hiei said.

'_We didn't take enough to hurt her,_' said Kurama. '_She has probably already recovered._'

Kagome was still in a daze when Hiei threw the door open and forcibly pulled her out of the car, his grip almost painfully tight on her arm.

"You should go inside," Hiei said, grinding out the words through gritted teeth. "It's going to rain soon."

"O-okay. Good night, Kurama."

"Good night, Kagome. I'll see you tomorrow." Kurama flashed her a dazzling smile before he reached over and pulled the door shut. Kagome stood numbly at the foot of the shrine steps and watched him drive away.

When she realized what had just happened, Kagome turned on Hiei, her eyes lit up with anger.

"You!" she yelled, pointing an accusing finger at him. "What gives you the right to barge in and interrupt us? The first time, I thought it was just a coincidence, but you're doing it on purpose, aren't you?" She stopped and waited for him to answer, but he just continued to scowl at her silently, so she continued.

"This is the first good thing that's happened to me in ages! I finally find one guy in my era who likes me, and you're intent on messing it all up! Gods, Hiei, I would almost think that you're jealous, if I didn't know how much you despise humans!"

A streak of lightning pierced the sky above them, the crack of thunder silencing Kagome for the moment. Hiei clenched his hands at his side. Even from here, he could smell the scent of the fox on her, and he hated it. She was standing there, almost shaking with rage, and when she opened her mouth to continue her tirade, Hiei shut her up the best way he could think of.

Kagome was in shock. One moment, she was getting ready to yell at Hiei for being an inconsiderate jerk, and the next...

...his mouth was covering hers in a fierce, possessive kiss. She felt his hand fisted in the hair at the nape of her neck, and he wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. Instinctively, Kagome tilted her head and parted her lips, and she was rewarded with a low growl of approval from Hiei.

She clutched at the fabric of his cloak with one hand, and snaked the other up to curl her fingers into the hair at the back of his head. Something about this just felt so _right_, the way he held her so possessively, the soft texture of his tongue tracing the line of her lower lip. She closed her eyes and gave into the thrill and the raw passion of the kiss.

Hiei's heart was pounding in his chest as he sought to remove every last trace of the fox's scent from Kagome, covering it with his own. He was surprised at the enthusiasm with which she responded, and felt a thrill run up his spine when he felt her tongue tentatively reach out to explore his mouth. His grip around her waist tightened, and he gave in completely to the kiss, seeking to remove more than just the scent now, but also the very _memory_ of Kurama's kiss from her mind.

Something nagged at the back of his mind, and Hiei reluctantly pulled back, turning to look up at the shrine. Kagome rested her forehead on his shoulder, panting, trying to come to grips with what had just happened.

"Hiei?" He looked to see her soft brown eyes staring at him inquisitively. "What--"

"Something's wrong," he growled out, and before she could respond, Hiei renewed his grip around her waist and practically flew up the steps, skidding to a halt before a scene that would forever be etched into Kagome's mind.

Mama was kneeling on the grass in the courtyard. Her back was turned to Kagome, but she could see her mother's shoulders shaking. Grandpa was leaning against a tree, looking like he'd collapse completely without its support, his eyes wide with shock and fear.

Kagome disentangled herself from Hiei's hold and rushed forward, kneeling on the ground to face her mother.

"Mama, what..." Her voice trailed off when she followed her mother's downcast gaze. She stared in morbid fascination at the tiny object lying on the ground in a pool of red liquid, and it took a few seconds for the reality of what she was seeing to sink in. Even then, she couldn't quite wrap her mind around the incongruous picture before her.

Lying on the grass in the courtyard of her family shrine was a tiny finger, sliced off cleanly above the third joint.

"Mama? Mama, what--" Kagome couldn't begin to form words for the questions in her mind. She stared at her mothers hands, but she didn't appear to be missing any fingers.

Mama's voice was barely above a whisper as she continued to stare down at the finger. "White... He took... He said... You have to bring them to him, or he's going to-- He's going to--"

"Naraku?" Kagome asked, and suddenly the truth of the situation pierced the confusion in her mind, and she promptly turned around and emptied the contents of her stomach on the ground.

Hiei could only watch as Kagome's hunched form shook with sobs she couldn't voice, but a single whispered name confirmed his worst suspicions.

"Souta..."

The heavens burst open, and a driving rain pelted the ground, washing away the last traces of Souta's blood.

_Edited 17 May 2005_


	11. Kagome

**Paradox**  


Somnambulicious

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer**:  
I don't own either  
_Inuyasha_ or _YuYu_;  
Somebody else does.

* * *

**Chapter 11**:** Kagome**

Grandpa was the first to wander in out of the rain. Mama followed soon after, dragging her feet through the puddles. Hiei waited for Kagome to stand and go inside, but she remained frozen in place on her hands and knees. Finally, deciding that she'd catch her death of cold if she remained outside much longer, Hiei pulled her to up to stand and draped her arm over his shoulder. Her feet dragged the ground, and he ended up carrying her rather than just supporting her.

Hiei didn't stop until he'd pulled a chair out for her in the kitchen, where Mama and Grandpa were already sitting. She dropped into the chair with a wet thump and stared with unseeing eyes at the table.

They were all just sitting there, staring at nothing, and Hiei was beginning to get irritated. He needed to know exactly what had happened.

"Woman," he said, bringing Mama out of her daze. "Tell me exactly what took place."

Kagome almost didn't recognize her mother's broken voice when she finally spoke. "Souta wanted to go outside after dinner. He said he had to practice what she taught him. It wasn't but ten or fifteen minutes, and then we heard-- we heard--" Mama choked back a sob, but she continued. "He was screaming. Grandpa and I, we ran outside, but he was already there. He was wearing a white baboon pelt, and he had these tentacles wrapped around Souta's neck, and there was this...this barrier thing, like a dome. He said-- He said that it was time for her to get the last of the shards, and he was taking Souta to make sure she completed her duty. Then he said he wanted her to know how serious he was, and he took a knife and-- And--" Mama's voice dissolved, and she started to weep again.

Hiei frowned. He recognized the stench of the evil hanyou; it was the same scent he'd smelled on Kagura. If they were lucky, they might be able to track him down and end this all for good.

He looked at Kagome, who was slumped forward in her chair, and sighed deeply. He couldn't leave her here like this. But he had to do something...

'**_Kagome,_**' he said, touching her lightly on her shoulder, '_**I am going to find Kurama and tell him to meet me here. I won't be long. Don't go anywhere. Don't move from this spot until I return.**_' Kagome nodded absently, and Hiei vanished.

When he returned a couple of minutes later, nothing had changed. Kagome and Grandpa were still staring off into space, while Mama held her head in her hands and sobbed quietly. Hiei stood behind Kagome, waiting for the others to arrive.

A few minutes passed, and the back door flew open as Yuusuke, Kurama, and Kurabara burst in.

"Hiei, what the hell--" Yuusuke's voice trailed off when he saw Kagome and the two other humans staring off into space as though the world had just ended. It seemed to take a lot of effort for Kagome to rouse herself, and she shook as she stood up.

"He took him," Kagome said in a hollow voice. "Naraku took my brother hostage for the jewel shards, and he cut off his finger to show he was serious."

"Oh, shit," whispered Yuusuke. Kurama had to agree with him. This was just about the worst possible thing that could have happened.

"Do you have a picture of the boy?" Kurama asked. "And something that smells of him." Kagome nodded and took a picture off of the wall and reached up on top of the refrigerator to retrieve a red baseball cap. She handed them to Kurama without a word.

Kurama looked at the picture, memorizing it. It was a school portrait, and Souta looked to be about ten years old. He had his sister's eyes, and her smile as well.

"These will be perfect. Thank you, Kagome. Hiei, can you show us where this happened?" Hiei nodded and led the group outside. They needed to act quickly if they hoped to catch Naraku. Kagome dropped back into her chair and stared at the table, trying to avoid her mother's eyes.

"There it is," Hiei said, pointing at a spot in the grass. Kurama crouched down and frowned when he saw the severed finger. The scent of Souta's blood had almost completely dissolved in the rain, but he could still pick up on the underlying stench of Naraku. He fished a handkerchief out of his pocket and wrapped it around the little finger.

"I'll take this to Koenma," Kurama said. "I'm not really sure what I should do with it." He turned to Yuusuke. "Can you tell what direction he went?"

Yuusuke frowned down at the spirit meter in his hands. "Shit. The thing's gone haywire. It's totally useless."

Kurama sighed deeply. "We'd better get to Koenma. Then I guess we'll just have to start searching Makai."

"Without any idea where he went? That's insane!" shouted Yuusuke.

"If you have any better ideas, fearless leader, I'd be glad to entertain them," Kurama said, glaring at Yuusuke.

"I'm staying," said Hiei. Kurama nodded. Somebody would have to remain behind to protect Kagome and her family, and from the looks of her, Kagome would need the support.

Yuusuke pulled out his communicator and connected to Reikai. "Botan, we need to see Koenma. Now."

* * *

Kagome jumped slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder, but relaxed when she saw that it was Hiei. She leaned back, taking comfort in his silent strength.

"Mama," she whispered. Her mother still refused to look up. "Mama, look at me."

Her mother raised her eyes to meet Kagome's, and Kagome cringed at the sorrow and anger that marred her mother's face. "You..." Mama whispered. "I should have stopped this whole thing a long time ago. I should never have let you go back. If it wasn't for you and that damned jewel..."

Kagome stood. "Don't you think I know that, mother?" Hiei was a bit taken aback at the bitterness in Kagome's voice. "My friends...all of them...their lives have been ruined because of me. Because of my stupid mistakes. If it wasn't for me, Sango's clan would still be alive. If it wasn't for me, Naraku would have been weak enough for Miroku to kill him a long time ago. If it wasn't for me, Inuyasha wouldn't be going to hell with Kikyou. If it wasn't for me, Shippou wouldn't be an orphan." Her shoulders shook, and her voice rose to a shout. "Don't you think I _know_ by now that the whole damned _world_ would be better off if I hadn't ever been born? I've lived with that for the past two years. And Souta...this only confirms it."

Kagome was desperately hoping that her mother would deny it, say that the world was _better_ because Kagome was there, but her hopes were dashed when Mama just looked away, refusing to meet her daughter's pained gaze.

Grandpa laid a hand on Mama's shoulder. "You can't blame Kagome for this. She's not responsible for Naraku's actions."

Mama's shoulders sagged, and she looked down at her hands, clenching and unclenching them in her lap. "I don't know what to think anymore. It just didn't seem real until now, and now, my son... My poor, innocent son... He never had anything to do with this."

Mama's accusing glare made Kagome's heart clench, and she collapsed to the floor with a sob, giving herself completely over to the guilt and self-pity that threatened to drown her soul. She felt Hiei lift her up off of the floor, and didn't protest when he draped her arm over his shoulders again.

Hiei glared at the woman sitting at the table. "She must be strong if you want to see your son again. You are not helping." Without another word, Hiei turned his back and lead Kagome upstairs to her bedroom.

Kagome was shaking uncontrollably by the time Hiei helped her to the bed. He frowned. Her clothes and hair were still soaked from the rain, and if she wasn't careful, she'd get sick. That was the last thing they needed right now.

'_**Kagome. You have to put on some dry clothes.**_' Kagome nodded numbly and started to peel off the wet shirt, heedless of the fire apparition in the room with her. Hiei turned his back and waited for her to finish changing clothes.

He heard the shirt fall to the floor with a wet thump, followed by the skirt. But after that, the girl didn't move. After a couple of minutes of silence, Hiei started to get worried.

'_**Kagome?**_' When she didn't answer, Hiei turned around. She was sitting on the side of the bed in nothing but her underwear, her wet hair still plastered to her shoulders. She wasn't moving, just staring out into space again. With a heavy sigh, Hiei retrieved a pair of soft, stretchy pants and a long-sleeved shirt from the dresser.

For all the help Kagome gave him, Hiei might as well have been dressing a doll. She kept staring ahead, her expression never wavering, as he helped her into the dry clothes. Once she was dressed, he pulled back the covers and laid her down on the bed.

Hiei stood to go and sit on the windowsill as usual, but he stopped short when he felt Kagome's hand pulling on his sleeve.

Kagome gazed up at him with sorrowful brown eyes, and without warning, Hiei felt her mental barriers completely drop. He was nearly floored by the wave of grief he felt from her. She blamed herself alone for what had happened to Souta. If _she_ hadn't broken the jewel, if _she_ hadn't told Souta to practice, if _she_ had insisted on extra protection for her family, if _she_ had been stronger, better, faster, more careful, then Souta wouldn't be gone.

'_**He will pay,**_' Hiei told her vehemently. '_**Naraku will pay for this and every other dishonorable thing he's ever done.**_'

Kagome felt comforted by his words, and to her surprise, Hiei settled down on the bed next to her, leaning against the headboard. He pulled her up so that her head rested on his chest, with his arms around her.

'**_Sleep. You must be strong for what is to come. You must be strong for your brother_**.'

His voice in her mind soothed Kagome, and she closed her eyes and drifted off to the steady sound of Hiei's heartbeat in her ears.

* * *

Kurama knocked on the door to Kagome's house at nine o'clock sharp the next morning. Unfortunately, he didn't have much news for the family; there had been no detectable break in the barrier, and they still hadn't picked up a trace of Naraku in Makai. But he wanted to check on Kagome, to make sure she was handling this well.

Grandpa answered the door and led Kurama into the living room. "Any news?" he asked.

Kurama shook his head. "We're still looking. I can assure you that every resource we have available is being used to get a lock on Naraku's location. How is Kagome?"

"I haven't seen her this morning. I suppose she's still asleep in bed. Her room is the second on the left upstairs." Grandpa shuffled back into the kitchen, leaving Kurama to find his way to Kagome's bedroom.

He was about to turn the doorknob when he heard Hiei's soft growl of warning in his mind.

'_**Do not disturb her. She sleeps**_.'

'_I wanted to tell her about the search,_' Kurama said.

'_**You can tell me. I will give her the information when she awakes. She will need to be rested for the battle ahead**_.'

Kurama sighed. '_Very well. There was nothing to indicate a break in the barrier, so we're not sure how Naraku got here in the first place. Yuusuke and Kurabara are still searching in Makai, but they have no leads. Koenma wants Kagome to retrieve the remaining shards and her friends as quickly as possible, and then go to Reikai. Her family will be protected at Genkai's temple_.'

'_**I will tell her. See to it that no one else attempts to disturb her**_.'

Kurama was a bit surprised at Hiei's sudden protectiveness of the girl, but he did as Hiei asked, stopping on his way out of the house to tell the old man that Kagome needed her rest. With that, he opened a portal back to Makai and went to join the others in the fruitless hunt.

Hiei was relieved when Kurama didn't insist on seeing Kagome. The scene in her bedroom would have ruined his carefully built reputation of misanthropy. During the night, Kagome had squirmed her way over to curl up on his lap completely, her head tucked under his chin and her hands fisted in his clothes. He hadn't stopped her for fear of waking her; this would be the last night of undisturbed sleep she would probably get for a long time, and she had to be rested and sharp to defeat Naraku.

* * *

It was well almost noon when Hiei finally felt Kagome begin to stir. He waited quietly until her eyes fluttered open, and she stared up at him in shock.

"Hiei? What are you--" She stopped cold when everything suddenly came back to her. A brief look of pain and grief passed over her eyes, but it was soon replaced by one of determination. Hiei nodded approvingly.

'_**The fox was here. They have had no luck in locating Naraku and your brother**_.'

"I didn't think they would." She pulled herself out of Hiei's lap and moved to stand at the window, gazing out over the shrine grounds. The sky was overcast and low, giving the view an air of expectancy. "We're going through the well. Kouga will give me the shards today." There was a hard edge to her voice that Hiei had never heard before.

Hiei waited in her bedroom while Kagome showered and dressed in her taijiya uniform. He accompanied her downstairs, and waited silently while she packed a few things in the backpack.

"Kagome?" She looked up from her bag to see Mama standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Her eyes were puffy and red, and she swayed a bit on her feet.

"Mama?" Hiei saw Kagome cringe. Apparently, she hadn't completely recovered from her mother's accusation the night before.

"Honey, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I said those things. I don't know what I was--"

"You were in shock. We all were, Mama." Kagome turned back to her bag and started counting the bandages.

"You're going back?" Mama asked. Kagome nodded, not looking up from the bag. Mama sighed. "I don't want you to go."

"I have to. I have to get the shards and save Souta." Kagome still refused to look at her mother, and Mama felt a twinge of regret.

"But I've already lost one child," Mama said, her eyes brimming over with tears. "I can't bear to lose you, too."

Kagome closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "Don't talk like that, Mama. Souta is alive. I am going to save him. Naraku will suffer for his crimes. And then, I am going to obliterate his very soul from existence. He will pay."

Mama was taken aback by the determination in her daughter's voice. Last night was the first time that the reality of Kagome's life had truly hit her, but it wasn't until now that Mama actually connected that reality with the girl sitting in her kitchen, rifling through an oversized backpack. _All this time...all this time, she's been fighting him, and I never knew how bad it really was. All those bandages, all that medicine...how many lives did she save? How many was she too late to save?_ She suddenly realized that the girl -- no, _woman_ in her kitchen was a complete stranger to her.

"Please, just be careful sweetie. I'll be waiting for you and Souta to come back to me," Mama said, and finally, Kagome turned and gave her a small smile.

"You and Grandpa are going to stay with Genkai. Her temple is the safest place for you to be right now. You should probably go ahead and start packing."

Mama nodded. "I've already packed. I had planned on taking Grandpa to a hotel in Osaka, but we will go and stay with this Genkai if you say so."

'_**The fox is here,**_' Hiei told Kagome.

"Kurama will stay here with you until you're ready to go. He'll take you to Genkai's." Kagome shouldered her backpack and walked to the door. She turned around and spoke to her mother one last time before leaving for her last trip to the past.

"Stay on the temple grounds. Don't stray, or you'll be vulnerable, and I really don't need that possibility hanging over my head right now."

"We'll be cautious, honey. And you be careful too."

"You don't have to worry about me," Kagome said, and then she walked out the door with Hiei beside her, leaving her mother to wonder whether she'd ever see either of her children ever again.

* * *

Inuyasha picked up on her scent halfway to the village. He dropped out of a tree and landed on the path in front of Kagome and Hiei.

"Kagome? Is something wrong? You're not supposed to be back until tomorrow!" He saw that Hiei was with her, and thanked the gods that she hadn't come yesterday, on the night of the new moon; he didn't like the idea of this strange youkai knowing when he was most vulnerable. The grim look on her face worried Inuyasha, and she was already dressed in her taijiya clothes. This couldn't be good.

"We've got to talk. All of us." The tone of Kagome's voice left no room for argument, and Inuyasha was left to walk behind her in silence.

Once everyone was gathered in Kaede's hut, Kagome settled back against the wall and took a deep breath before she began.

"Inuyasha, do you know where Kouga is?" she asked.

He nodded. "I've been keeping track of the wolf tribe. Three days ago, they were headed southeast, away from the dens in the north."

"Good. We're leaving today to find Kouga, and we're taking his shards."

"It's about time!" Inuyasha grinned and cracked his knuckles. "But why the sudden desire to find that wimpy wolf? I thought you wanted to wait as long as possible before gathering the last of the shards."

"He took my brother."

Nobody quite knew what to make of her cryptic statement, but Inuyasha asked slowly, "What do you mean, he took your brother?"

"Naraku. He kidnapped Souta, and he's holding him somewhere in Makai. He cut off one of Souta's fingers as a warning."

"_WHAT?_" Inuyasha was on his feet, his eyes blazing and his hand on the hilt of his sword. Sango had her hand over her mouth; she looked like she was going to be sick.

"When did this happen?" asked Miroku.

"Last night. Will you guys be ready to come through the well with me as soon as we get Kouga's shards?"

Miroku sighed and nodded. "I've written a letter to Mushin. Kaede will send it when I am gone."

"I'm ready whenever you are, Kagome!" cried Shippou.

All eyes turned toward Sango, who had her eyes downcast. "I'll be ready," she whispered, and before anyone could say a word, she stood and left the hut.

Kagome sighed. "I'll go talk to her," she said, and followed Sango.

Sango walked until she came to the edge of the forest. She sat down in the shade of one of the larger trees and buried her face in her hands.

She didn't like feeling this way, but she couldn't suppress her anger. _All this time, Kohaku has been under Naraku's control, and now, when it's Kagome's brother who's been kidnapped, we're suddenly in a hurry._ Where was all this determination and rush when Kohaku had needed their help? But no, Kagome had her _school_ to take care of. She had other priorities until it was her own brother who was attacked.

"Sango?" She lifted her head to see Kagome standing before her, nervously fidgeting with her hands. Sango looked back down at her feet. She didn't like being angry with Kagome.

Kagome sat down next to Sango. "Sango, I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I thought I understood. I had no idea... I'm so sorry." Her eyes glistened with tears. "How could I have been so callous? I kept going back home, when your brother was suffering. When you were suffering. And Miroku... Every day I spent back home was one day less for him to live. I'm such an awful friend." Sango heard her sob softly.

"I can't tell you that it's okay, because the truth is I am a little angry with you right now. But the important thing now is that we work together to save our brothers, no matter how we have to do it." Sango gave her a soft smile. "I don't think you're an awful friend, Kagome. At least you kept coming back. A lot of people wouldn't have done that." _I don't even know if I would, had I been in your place._

"Thank you. I'll make it up to you somehow, I promise." Kagome stood and offered a hand to Sango, and her voice hardened. "Let's go. We've got family to save."

"Right." Sango took her hand and rose from the forest floor. Now wasn't the time for petty sulking.

* * *

The sun had set an hour ago, but the group showed no signs of slowing down. Usually, it was Kagome who insisted that they stop for the night, but her determination gave her newfound strength, and so they forged onward in search of the wolf clan.

Kagome pushed her bike up the rocky path, with Shippou snoozing in the basket. Inuyasha was leading the group, since he knew where they were going and could smell out the wolves. Sango and Kagome walked side by side behind him, with Miroku bringing up the rear, as usual. Hiei kept to the trees, remaining out of sight.

Finally, Miroku called for a halt.

"We can't see well enough to go on. If we keep this up, one of us is going to get injured. We have to stop for the night," he said.

Kagome was disappointed, but she had to agree with him. An injury would only delay her brother's rescue even longer.

"This is as good a place as any," she said, dropping her pack on the forest floor. "I've got some meal bars if anyone's hungry. We'll leave at dawn."

Sango and Miroku both took one of the energy bars, and quickly settled down for the night. The October air was brisk, but none of them had the energy to gather firewood and start a fire. Miroku was too exhausted to even suggest 'sharing body heat,' as he usually did on cold nights. Kagome was asleep as soon as her head hit the sleeping bag.

Hours later, Kagome was awakened by someone shaking her shoulder. She was startled to see red eyes peering down at her in the darkness until she realized who it was.

"Hiei?" She sat up and looked around. It was still dark out, but a campfire crackled nearby. "Did you start a fire?"

'_**Humans are vulnerable to cold**_.'

"What time is it?"

'_**A few hours before dawn. The wolves are coming. They will be here in a few minutes**_.'

Kagome groaned. She really wasn't ready for this, but it had to be done. She could sense the shards coming nearer. Hiei leapt up into a tree, and Kagome roused the rest of the group. Inuyasha was already awake, standing at the edge of the camp and looking outward.

Kagome went to stand at Inuyasha's side. In the pale light of the fire, she could barely make out a frown on his face. "Inuyasha? What's wrong?"

"I smell blood. The blood of wolves."

Kagome heard Sango's sharp intake of breath behind her. This wasn't good.

They heard a rustling further up on the path, and soon they could make out three figures coming toward them out of the shadows. When the wolves stepped into the light of the campfire, Kagome had to stifle a scream.

Ginta and Hakkaku were supporting Kouga between them. His left leg had been severed just below the knee.

Kouga raised his head to give Kagome a pained grin. She could see a trickle of dried blood at the corner of his mouth. "Hey. How's my woman?"

Kagome let out a muffled cry as she rushed forward to embrace the wolf prince. She latched herself around his waist and buried her head in his chest, sobbing. Kouga put his arms around her, letting her support him as he stroked her hair.

"Shh, Kagome, don't cry," he murmured softly. "I came to give these to you." Kagome lifted her head and looked down to see Kouga holding two jewel shards in the palm of his hand.

She looked back up at him, and Kouga could see the tears streaming down her cheeks. "Kouga, I--"

"Shh. Just take them. They've caused enough trouble for my pack."

Kagome shook her head. "Let me look at your injuries first. We'll talk later." Inuyasha was about to protest, but Kagome sent him a glare that shut him up. She helped Kouga sit down next to the fire and knelt down in front of him.

"Sango, bring me my pack." Kagome gently unwound the blood-soaked bandages that covered what was left of Kouga's leg. To her relief, the skin around the wound was free of the red streaks that would indicate infection. The flesh where his leg had been severed was blackened, and she could see that new skin was already starting to grow around the edges.

"It looks like it was burned," she said.

Kouga nodded. "Ginta used a hot sword blade to burn it. We had to stop the bleeding."

Kagome shuddered. _Sengoku Jidai cauterization..._ She reached into her backpack and fished out the first aid kit. After donning a pair of sterile latex gloves, she squeezed some antibacterial ointment out into her palm and gently applied it to the wound.

"I'm going to let you take the rest of this with you," she said as she retrieved a package of sterile gauze. "Apply the ointment a few times daily, and change the bandages when you do. It will help keep the wound from getting infected. Oh, and boil the water you use to wash the wound. That will kill any...evil spirits in the water that make you sick." Kouga nodded, and she gently wrapped his leg with gauze, using a bit of waterproof tape to secure it. Then she pulled a pair of clean tube socks out of her bag and eased one over his leg so that it would hold the bandages in place. She pulled the sock up as high as it would reach, blushing when her hand brushed Kouga's inner thigh.

He grinned at her. "No need to be shy with me, Kagome. I've already claimed you as my mate." Kagome started to protest, but stopped when she saw his wistful smile. _Oh, god, Kouga, how will you survive?_

"Now what about the shards?" Inuyasha asked impatiently. Kagome scowled at him.

"Can't you lay off for just a little bit? He's injured!" She turned back to Kouga. "Do you have any more injuries?"

Kouga shook his head. "Nothing serious. Those damn bird-brains took a potshot at me. There were just too many of them." He looked off into the forest. "We lost half of our brothers in the battle. That's why I'm giving you my shards. Those damn things attract too much trouble for the tribe. I've put them through enough grief."

"Thank you, Kouga," Kagome said, squeezing his hand. "I promise you we'll avenge the wolves that Naraku killed. These are the last of the shards. Naraku and I have the rest."

"Have you found the bastard?" Kouga asked.

Kagome sighed. "He's in my country now. He kidnapped my little brother, and now we have to hunt him down there." She suddenly brightened. "Kouga, you can come with us! We have much better medical care there, and we can get you a prosthetic leg!" Kagome could hear both Inuyasha and Hiei growling behind her, but she didn't care. Kouga was a good friend, and she didn't want to leave him here to die.

Kouga smiled at her. "I'd love to come with you, but I've got to see after the pack. I might have only one leg, but I'm still the best leader they've got. Those knuckleheads don't have half a brain between them." He saw the tears spill from Kagome's eyes again, and Kouga reached out to brush them away with a clawed finger. "Don't worry. If dog-shit over there can live as long as he has with a persimmon for a brain, then I won't have any trouble just missing half a leg."

"Hey! I don't have a persimmon for a brain, you mangy wolf!"

Kagome ignored Inuyasha's outburst. "You should probably get some sleep. All of you," she added, looking at Ginta and Hakkaku. "Inuyasha and Hiei will keep watch." The fire apparition and the hanyou both glared at her for that, but they didn't argue. They would have been keeping watch anyway.

Kagome brought her sleeping bag over and laid it down next to Kouga. She helped him lie down on it and zipped it up. Kouga buried his nose in the fabric and inhaled deeply, smiling.

"It smells like you, Kagome..." He closed his eyes and drifted off into a much-needed sleep. Kagome settled back against a nearby tree and tried to get comfortable. She rubbed her arms and shivered, suddenly regretting that she hadn't thought to pack any extra blankets. A bundle of black fabric suddenly landed in her lap, and she looked up to see Hiei wearing only his pants and a sleeveless black shirt.

'_**Put it on. Humans are vulnerable to cold**_.'

She gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Hiei." She slipped into the long-sleeved robe. She could see Inuyasha frowning at her from across the camp, but she shrugged it off and instead looked up at Hiei, who was now crouched in the branches of a nearby tree. _Oh, my..._ Now that his arms were exposed, she could appreciate just how muscular he was. It took her a moment to notice the bandages wrapped around his forearms.

'_Hiei? Are you injured?_' she asked.

'_**Hardly**_.'

'_What are the bandages for_?'

'_**They restrain the dragon**_.' Kagome remembered the flame-shrouded black dragon Hiei had shown her in his memories.

'_Does it hurt?_' Hiei almost chuckled at the concern in Kagome's mental voice.

'_**No, it does not hurt. You should sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us, and that Reikai brat will no doubt want to interrogate you for hours when we get back**_.'

Kagome tried to sleep. She really did, but images of Souta being tortured by Naraku plagued her mind. _Stop it, Kagome,_ she scolded herself. _You're only making things worse._ Determined to banish the awful thoughts from her mind, she instead thought about what had happened to her last night, just before she'd found out about Souta.

_They kissed me..._ She brushed her fingers across her lips, as if trying to confirm that it had been real. She'd received her very first kiss last night from a kitsune avatar, only to be kissed for the second time, minutes later, by a jealous fire apparition.

She couldn't help but compare the two kisses in her mind. Kurama's had been gentle, almost tentative, as if he wasn't sure he'd wanted to kiss her. Hiei's, on the other hand, had been demanding and forceful, full of passion and pent-up frustration. Just the thought of it left her weak in the knees. _Who knew he had that kind of passion inside him?_ They hadn't talked about it today, but Kagome was determined not to let it slide. She had to know if he really liked her, or if he was just trying to get one up on Kurama.

Hiei groaned when he caught the change in Kagome's scent. _Not again._ He saw Inuyasha glance at her and sniff the air, but the hanyou just shrugged and settled back down on the tree branch and continued to gaze up at the stars. Unfortunately for Hiei, he couldn't ignore it that well.

The memory of last night's kiss came to mind, only making his frustration worse. What had he been thinking? Hiei snorted as the answer came to mind. _I wasn't._ The sight of Kagome actually returning Kurama's gentle kiss was bad, but it was the masculine scent of the fox on the girl that had driven him over the edge. At that point, his instincts had kicked in and demanded that he overpower the scent of another male on his...

His...

What exactly _was_ Kagome to him? He could no longer deny that he had feelings for the girl. He'd ceased lumping her in with all other humans a while ago. There were _humans,_ and then there was _Kagome_. But he was still too afraid of rejection to take his relationship with her any further. Yes, she had seen something of his past, but she still hadn't seen the Jagan, or what he became when he took on his other form.

When she did see it, she would be disgusted. She would reject him then, just as she should. One as pure as her had no business with one as tainted as him.

But that kiss... He had surprised himself with the raw emotion he'd poured into it, but he was even more shocked at the enthusiasm with which Kagome had responded. She certainly hadn't kissed the fox back like that, hadn't run her fingers through _his_ hair, clutched at _his_ clothes, slipped her tongue into _his_ mouth and--

And--

Unbidden, Hiei's mind supplied images of what might have happened if they'd been in a more secluded place, if he hadn't picked up on the scent of the boy's blood. He glanced down at the girl who was curled up next to the tree, wearing his clothes. It certainly wouldn't help things now that she would be practically swimming in his scent.

_Gods..._ Hiei shifted on the branch. Maybe he'd been wrong about humans. He'd thought they were all weak and pathetic morons, but here was this girl who seemed to actually enjoy sleeping on the ground, with her hand resting on the hilt of her sword (_Good girl,_) wearing that delectable-looking taijiya outfit underneath _his clothes_. Yes, she was kind. Yes, she was innocent. But the girl was no weakling.

Hiei shook his head. He hadn't changed his mind about humanity. Kagome was merely an exception to the rule.

And gods, what an exception she was.

* * *

Miroku was the first to wake the next morning. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of Kagome snuggled up in what looked like Hiei's clothes. He sent the silent fire apparition a knowing grin, which Hiei ignored. Miroku folded his blanket and set about preparing breakfast.

The smell of vegetable stew and hot coffee (both provided by Kagome) soon roused the rest of the group. After she stood and stretched a bit, Kagome started to pull off Hiei's robe, but she stopped when she heard his voice in her mind.

'_**Leave it on. The day will be cold**_.'

She smiled at him, grateful for the additional warmth of the cloak. Getting to look at Hiei all day wearing that sleeveless shirt was just an added bonus. She tied her green obi around her waist and hung her wakizashi at her hip.

Kouga grumbled about "his woman" wearing another male's clothes while she served breakfast, but his complaints ceased as soon as he took a big slurp of the stew.

"Damn, woman, this is good!" Ginta and Hakkaku heartily agreed, and Miroku was suddenly glad he'd prepared all four cans of the stew in Kagome's pack. Those wolves ate like...well...wolves.

"Do you want some coffee?" asked Kagome, offering him a cup. "It'll help keep you alert."

Kouga sniffed at the dark liquid and wrinkled his nose. "I think I'll pass."

After breakfast, Kouga announced that it was time for them to leave. Kagome gave him her backpack and all of its contents, including the sleeping bag. She felt it was the least she could do for him, since the mess with the jewel was all her fault anyway.

"I'd better get back to what's left of the pack. We're heading back to the caves to recuperate." Kouga gave Kagome a rather hungry look, letting his eyes roam over her body. "It's a pity you're not coming back with me, Kagome. I could use your help in replenishing the pack."

Kagome blushed furiously, and Inuyasha growled at the wolf. "You bastard! You can't talk about Kagome like that! And stop looking at her like she's a piece of meat!"

"You think you can do something about it, dog-shit? I may have just one leg, but I can whip your scrawny little ass anyway!"

Inuyasha started forward, but was stopped by the warning tone in Kagome's voice. "Inuyasha..." He knew she was prepared to use 'the word' if he attacked, and he had no desire to be humiliated in front of the wolves.

"Feh!"

"Take care of yourselves, guys," said Kagome.

Kouga flashed her a smile. "I'll be waiting for you to come and join me once Naraku is dead."

Kagome just ducked her head and blushed again.

"Goodbye, sis!"

"Seeya, sis!"

With that, the three wolves disappeared into the woods, with Kouga once again supported between Ginta and Hakkaku. Once they were out of hearing range, Kagome turned to Inuyasha.

"You didn't have to be so mean to him! He's injured!"

"Hell, Kagome, he started it!"

"And you kept it going! Why do you always have to fight him?"

"He's not good enough for you, Kagome, and you don't do a good enough job of turning him down."

Sango and Miroku were both shocked at the bitter laugh that came out of Kagome's mouth. They'd never heard anything like it coming from the sweet and innocent girl they knew.

"Not good enough for _me_? That's a laugh. It was my stupid mistake, shattering the jewel, that ultimately made him lose his leg. I'm the girl who's bringing about the end of the world. On the contrary, Inuyasha, I doubt that I'm good enough for him. Everyone I come into contact with, their lives end in tragedy."

Inuyasha was shocked into silence, and Miroku and Sango just gaped at her. Did she really think that way about herself?

Inuyasha was the first to recover. "That's not true, Kagome. One of those Harpies cut off his leg, not you. And don't you _ever_ say that you ruin people's lives. Don't even think it!"

Miroku nodded. "He's right, Kagome. You cannot blame yourselves for the evil acts that others commit. The world is a dangerous place. It's not your fault."

"Yeah, Kagome!" Shippou leapt up onto her shoulder. "Don't say things like that! I would be all alone if it wasn't for you!"

Kagome smiled sadly at the kit. She didn't have the heart to tell him that it was her fault his parents were dead, her fault that the Thunder Brothers had killed his parents for the jewel shard.

She gently lifted Shippou off of her shoulder and set him on the ground. "If it's okay with you guys, I think I'm going to take a little walk, just to clear my head." Without waiting for an answer, Kagome turned and walked into the forest.

Inuyasha started to go after her, but was stilled by Miroku's restraining hand on his shoulder. He looked at the houshi, who shook his head.

"She needs the time alone. Kagome has a lot to come to terms with. Let's go ahead and clean up camp. We'll be ready to go as soon as she gets back." Inuyasha grumbled, but he did as Miroku suggested. Nobody noticed that Hiei was gone as well.

Hiei followed the girl a short way into the forest, until she sat down on a log and sighed heavily. He jumped down from the tree he was in and stood beside her.

'_**Self-pity won't help you defeat him**_,' he told her. Kagome glared at him.

"What do you know?" she snapped.

"I know that you're sitting on a log feeling sorry for yourself instead of hunting down Naraku."

Kagome hung her head. "I know," she said softly. "How can you even stand to be around me?"

Hiei snorted. "I should be asking you the same thing."

Kagome looked up at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

Hiei's eyes narrowed. "Don't play stupid with me. You know what I am. You know what I am capable of."

Kagome shrugged. "That doesn't matter to me." Then something occurred to her. If he thought she didn't like him, then... "Then...that kiss," she said. "You didn't mean it, did you?"

'_**Did it feel like I didn't mean it**_?'

Kagome blushed. "No," she said. "Is it because of the eye? Is that why you think I wouldn't like you?"

Hiei didn't answer. When she stood and started to walk toward him, he backed away. "What are you doing, woman?"

"I want to see it," she said. "Please?"

Hiei growled and started to back away again, but Kagome whispered, "Freeze." His eyes widened, and he froze in place. He'd almost forgotten about the subduing rosary, and he cursed himself for not fleeing the moment she'd said she wanted to see it. But at least now he would know if he was just wasting his time with her.

Kagome gently lifted the white headband up and slipped it over his hair. She held the hair off of his forehead with one hand, and saw a single lavender eye looking back at her curiously. The Jagan blinked, and she giggled.

"Something funny?" Hiei growled.

"No, I was just surprised is all. It's cute."

Hiei would have lost his footing if he hadn't been frozen in place. She just said... She just said the Jagan was _cute_? The _Jagan_? He must have heard her wrong.

Kagome looked back down at Hiei's eyes -- the ones he was born with -- and was surprised to see the wariness in them. _Oh, gods. He's been rejected so many times because of this. He really was afraid I'd run away._

Keeping her hand on his forehead above the Jagan, Kagome leaned forward to place a light, almost experimental kiss on Hiei's lips. It felt strange, to be the one doing the kissing, but she found that she liked it. She parted her lips slightly and tried again, and by this time the spell had worn off. Hiei responded.

With zeal.

In the blink of an eye, Kagome found herself pressed up against a tree, Hiei's body pinning her there. She gasped in surprise, and he slid his tongue between her lips. She wrapped her arms around his back, pulling him closer, and he grasped the obi at the sides of her waist.

Hiei felt her relax completely, melting into the kiss. She moaned when his tongue brushed against hers, so he did it again and was rewarded when she pressed her hips against his, instinctively seeking out what would fulfill the need growing within her. He slid his right hand up to cup her breast through the layers of fabric, kneading it, rubbing his thumb over where he knew the nipple would be. She moaned again, letting her hands slide up to run her fingers lightly over his bare shoulders.

He pulled his lips away from her mouth, only to move on to her neck, pulling the fabric of the robe down so he could nip at the skin there. He felt her shudder, and when she whimpered his name almost incoherently, he ground his hips against her, making her feel the need she inspired in him, showing her what she did to him. He felt her legs go slack and part ever so slightly, and when he felt the smooth, slick texture of her tongue on the tip of his ear, he growled deeply.

But when she started nibbling on his earlobe, it nearly sent him over the edge. He broke away from her completely, jumping backward to land in a low crouch with one hand on the ground. Kagome fell to her knees with the sudden loss of support.

"Hiei?" Kagome's voice was small and confused. "Why..."

"Woman," he growled out, "you don't know what you're doing to me." He lifted his head to meet her gaze, and Kagome felt her breath catch in her throat when she saw the raw hunger in them.

"I- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to--" Hiei was breathing hard and clenching his fists, and Kagome grew alarmed. "Hiei? Did I hurt you?"

She grew even more worried when an odd, choked sound escaped Hiei's lips, and it took a moment for her to realize what was happening.

Hiei was chuckling.

She stared at him with wide eyes as he fell back on the ground and clutched at his sides, roaring with laughter. It was contagious, and soon Kagome found herself giggling. By the time they both recovered, tears were streaming down Kagome's cheeks, and Hiei's face was flushed.

"I guess that was a pretty stupid question," Kagome said with a grin.

Hiei simply raised an eyebrow. By now, he had recovered his usual expressionless mask, but his eyes still sparkled with amusement.

"I guess we should probably head back to camp. I'm surprised Inuyasha hasn't come looking for me yet," Kagome said. _Surprised and glad. No telling what he'd have done if he saw me kissing Hiei like that._

As she walked back to the camp with Hiei, Kagome started to feel guilty about what she'd just done. After all, her little brother was in Naraku's clutches somewhere in Makai, and she had been making out with a youkai she'd only known for two and a half weeks, and then laughing like she didn't have a care in the world.

Hiei must have picked up on her somber turn of mood, because his stern voice interrupted her self-inflicted guilt trip.

'_**You cannot dwell on your sorrow. It will consume you and turn you into a broken shell. If you must dwell on something, let it be your anger. Hone your fury to a fine point, and when the time comes, let it drive you to Naraku's ultimate destruction**_.'

His words took Kagome by surprise. All of her life, she'd been told to suppress her anger. 'Everybody likes a happy person,' Mama always said, and so Kagome had always been sure to put on a bright face and quash any negative feelings she might have. When she did lose control, the results were often spectacular and memorable, as Inuyasha had been unfortunate enough to find out many times.

_I suppose Hiei knows what he's talking about,_ she mused. After all, he had gone through the horribly painful Jagan implantation and years of planning to undertake his revenge on the Koorime who cast him out at birth. He must have learned a lot about sorrow and anger over the years.

So Kagome straightened her shoulders as she came to a decision. She wouldn't allow herself to turn into a cold killing machine, but neither would she suppress her hatred for Naraku. _I will be ruthless. I will show no mercy. I will hunt him down and make him pay for his misdeeds._ But allowing herself a little laughter now and then, a little affection toward her friends, would ensure that when she did find her brother, she would still be the same Kagome he'd grown up with.

Miroku was the only one who noticed Kagome's swollen lips and disheveled hair. Inuyasha had picked up on the fact that Kagome was covered in Hiei's scent, but dismissed it because she was wearing his clothes. About two hours into the journey, Miroku finally managed to catch Kagome alone, bringing up the rear of the group.

"Ah, Kagome, did you enjoy your run through the woods this morning?" he asked.

Kagome was puzzled. "Run? What are you talking about?"

Miroku feigned surprise. "Why, when you came back to camp this morning, you were flushed, and your hair was a mess. I thought that perhaps you had taken a morning run."

Kagome blushed, which only confirmed Miroku's suspicions. He grinned. "I take it that your _running partner_ was acceptable, then?"

"We didn't-- I mean, we weren't-- It wasn't a _run_, Miroku, it was more of a nice walk."

"But of course. I wouldn't expect you to take up running so quickly. Forgive my presumption, Kagome. But I assume that your walk was pleasant, nonetheless?"

"Yes, it was a pleasant walk," Kagome said, grinning sheepishly.

Miroku nodded. "Good. But be careful. Don't let your partner rush you into running before you are ready."

"Don't worry about me, Miroku. I can take care of myself," Kagome said, thinking about the rosary around Hiei's neck.

Miroku inched closer to Kagome, his right hand twitching. "And if you ever need another running partner, I am always ready and willing to--"

"You will remove your hand, human, or I will remove it for you."

Miroku pulled his hand back from its rather comfortable position on Kagome's ass and looked at Hiei with feigned innocence.

"Why, Hiei, I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about. I was just enjoying Kagome's company, and when I stumbled over a rock, my hand slipped, and--"

"See to it that you do not slip again, or rest assured I will make certain that you will never be able to _run_ again."

Miroku gulped at Hiei's veiled threat. He'd groped plenty of women in his lifetime, but he'd never been threatened with _that_ before.

"I assure you, I will be more careful in the future."

"Ch."

'_Thanks, Hiei. And please, try not to kill Miroku. It's a compulsion. I don't think he can control it,_' Kagome said silently.

'_**He will learn to**_.'

Miroku dropped back behind Kagome and Hiei, who were now walking side by side, so they missed the grin that crept onto his face.

_Ah, so he is protective of her. Good, good._ The threat did bother Miroku a little bit, but all in all, his experiment had been a success.

Of course, getting to grope Kagome was just an added benefit.

* * *

The sun was setting by the time the group reached the Bone Eater's Well. Saying goodbye to Kaede was one of the hardest things Kagome had ever done, but the aged miko's parting words had given her hope.

_"You are destined for great things, child. You have gathered a group that is strong enough to defeat the hanyou. I have no doubt that you will succeed._"

The four rosaries hung loosely from Kagome's wrist. She hoped it would work as well for her friends as it had for Hiei.

"Now, are you all sure you want to go through with this? We'll go straight to Reikai from the shrine, so there won't be time to come back if you change your minds." She looked at each of her friends in turn, but they all nodded.

"Good. Now, I'll take you through two at a time, since you have to be in contact with me. Inuyasha can go by himself, so he'll go first to make sure it's safe. I'll take Miroku and Hiei next, and then I'll come back for Sango, Shippou, and Kirara. All right?"

"Right. Let's get this over with," said Inuyasha. He had a wide grin plastered on his face. He couldn't _wait_ to see somebody else suffer the humiliation he'd been putting up with for the past two and a half years.

Kagome looped the rosaries around each of their necks, and then stood back and murmured the incantation that would activate them. Then she grinned.

"Hentai!"

Sango, Shippou, and Kirara found that they couldn't move, but Miroku wasn't so lucky. He crashed to the ground with an "oomph." Inuyasha smirked at him.

"Oi, woman, why didn't the others work?" he asked.

"They did. They just can't move. Miroku's rosary is the only one that works at full strength," Kagome said.

Inuyasha kicked up an eyebrow at her. "You mean, you could replace mine with one that wouldn't-"

"Not a chance," Kagome said with a grin. "All that crashing to the ground has down wonders for your pain tolerance! And think of all the times it's been useful in a battle, so that I could get you out of the way of danger!"

Inuyasha glared at her. "Once. And that was that stupid frog that you wouldn't let me kill. Hardly a battle."

"Inuyasha..."

"All right, all right, woman! I'll get going!" Inuyasha leapt over the side of the well and disappeared.

"Okay, Miroku, Hiei, are you both ready?" Kagome asked.

Miroku was just getting up off of the ground. "Why, Kagome, I'm not quite sure why you chose that particular word to--"

"Oh, quit your complaining, Miroku. The rosaries are coming off as soon as we get to my era." She saw the gleam in Miroku's eyes as he walked toward her. "Unless you can't keep your hands to yourself before we reach the other side," she added.

Miroku just grinned swung his legs over the well to sit down, holding his hand out to her. Kagome sat down next to him, careful to keep her distance, and Hiei took his place beside her. She grabbed their hands and pushed off, jumping into the well with them. A blue light enveloped them, and when they landed softly on the floor of the well, Miroku looked up to see a roof overhead.

"I guess it worked," Kagome said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"After you, Kagome," said Miroku, indicating the ladder that lead up the side of the well. Kagome regarded him warily.

"I think I'll let you go first, Miroku. I wouldn't want to tempt you, and I'm sure you don't want to keep that rosary any longer than necessary."

Miroku sighed heavily and started to climb the ladder. Kagome followed him, and Hiei just leapt out of the well.

"Is it safe?" Kagome asked when she saw Inuyasha waiting for them.

"Yeah, there's nobody here. Even your stupid cat is gone," he replied. "You should go get the others now."

Kagome nodded and jumped back into the well. When she climbed out of the well in the Sengoku Jidai, Sango, Shippou, and Kirara were waiting for her.

"Did it work?" asked Shippou eagerly.

"Yep! Are you guys ready to go?" Kagome asked.

Sango took one last look around the clearing and took a deep breath. She nodded to Kagome and sat down on the edge of the well. Shippou climbed onto Kagome's shoulders, and Kagome held Kirara in her arms. Sango had a bit of difficulty maneuvering the Hiraikotsu on her back and an armful of scrolls from her village, but soon they were ready to go. Kagome took her hand.

"Here we go!" The two girls pushed off into the well, and when they reached the other side, Sango gasped.

"Wow, Kagome, it worked!" squealed Shippou. He scampered up the ladder, and Sango and Kagome followed him. When they reached the top, Kagome saw that Inuyasha was holding Shippou by the tail.

"You can't just run out there, runt! Somebody could see you!"

Shippou was struggling. "Put me down, dog-breath! I wanna see Kagome's home!"

"Inuyasha is right, Shippou. We need to be careful," admonished Kagome. She reached out and pulled the rosary over Shippou's head before doing likewise with Sango, Miroku, and Kirara.

"So now what?" she asked Hiei. "How do we contact Reikai?"

"No need!"

Everyone turned to the door of the well house at the sound of the cheerful feminine voice. Miroku grinned when he saw the blue-haired girl standing there.

"Allow me to introduce myself," he said, stepping forward, "I am Miroku, a simple traveling monk, and I wonder if you would be so kind as to--" He was cut short by the thump of Hiraikotsu on his head. Botan stared at Sango in confusion.

"Don't ask," Sango growled, and Botan shrugged.

"I'm here to take you guys back. Koenma has been monitoring the well, waiting for your return. If you'll just come with me through the portal," she said, indicating the shimmering oval that was suspended in the air behind her. Sango looked at Kagome warily.

"She's Botan, the ferry girl I told you about. Don't worry, it's perfectly safe," Kagome said, and she stepped through the portal. Miroku shrugged and went after her, and the rest of the group followed.

Inuyasha started growling as soon as he stepped into Koenma's office. "What the hell is he doing here?" he asked, pointing a clawed finger at Sesshoumaru, who stood next to the desk. All of his attention was trained on his hated older brother, so he failed to notice the youkai behind him, and didn't anticipate the blow that was landed to his head.

Kagome gasped when she saw the youkai standing over Inuyasha, shaking his fist.

He growled. "That was for not telling me that my woman was from the future, dog-shit!"

Kagome stared, slack-jawed, at the familiar face.

"K-Kouga?"

* * *

_Meanwhile, somewhere in Makai_...

He hadn't fought back. No, he knew better than that. He'd been reading between the lines of Kagome's stories for years, and while Mama had taken what she said at face value, Souta knew differently.

Naraku was deadly dangerous, and Souta hadn't stood a chance.

So here he was, shackled in what appeared to be the basement of a very large house. He'd passed out before they had even left the shrine grounds, when Naraku had cut his little finger off. He'd awakened here in the darkness, in pain, without any way of knowing how long he'd been out.

He hadn't seen Naraku since arriving here. No, the only other living being he'd seen was a boy about his age wearing taijiya armor. The boy hadn't said a word, just brought him a stale piece of bread and a small bowl of water, but Souta knew immediately who this was.

_Kohaku_...

That's when he knew he was in trouble. Naraku was holding him hostage so Kagome would give him her jewel shards; he was sure of it. But he highly doubted that Naraku would spare his life, even if Kagome did turn over her shards.

He couldn't be trusted.

Souta pulled on the collar around his neck, looking for a weakness for what must have been the millionth time. Like every other time he'd tried, the collar wouldn't budge. An eerie red light filtered down through the floorboards overhead, and that worried Souta. Was he in the modern era? The Sengoku Jidai? Or someplace else?

Souta sat back and leaned against the wall, sipping the last of the water from the bowl. Kagome was strong. Her friends were like superheroes. They would come for him, and Naraku would die.

Yes, that's what would happen. Souta was sure of it.

He heard the sound of the trapdoor being opened overhead, and Souta stood up, waiting to see who would come down the steps this time.

The man was wearing a purple robe over a deep violet kimono. His waist-length hair was wavy and black, but his eyes...

His eyes were red.

Souta gasped, and the red eyes narrowed at him. He shook with fear.

_Naraku_...

"Higurashi Souta," Naraku said in a low voice, "I think it is time we acquainted ourselves with each other."

_Edited 17 May 2005_


	12. Boys, Boys, Boys

**Paradox**  


by Somnambulicious

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer**:  
I don't own either  
_Inuyasha_ or _YuYu_;  
Somebody else does.

* * *

**Chapter 12**:** Boys, Boys, Boys**

Souta pressed his back against the wall in an attempt to get as far away from Naraku as possible.

"You'd better not do anything to me, or my sister will kill you!"

Naraku chuckled darkly. "I doubt that your sister even notices that you're gone."

Souta glared at him. "What do you mean? Of course she knows I'm gone. She's on her way here right now, so you'd better let me go."

Naraku stepped aside, and for the first time, Souta noticed the little white-haired girl that was standing behind him. She held a round mirror in her hands, and her eyes were completely blank.

"Would you like to see what your sister was doing while I captured you?" Naraku's voice was full of amusement. The little girl held up her mirror, and Souta could see an image of Kagome and a man with long hair kissing in the front seat of a car, parked in front of the shrine. Then, Hiei came and pulled her out of the car and kissed her even more. Souta wrinkled up his nose.

"That's pretty gross, but I'm sure she didn't know I was in trouble," he said confidently. "Besides, you probably made that all up. Hiei would have killed a saimyoushou before it could see anything for you."

Naraku gave him a look full of mock pity. "Oh, she knew, all right. Her little youkai friend knew too. They were just too preoccupied to care. And I made sure to leave a strong trail leading here, so she'd bring me the rest of the jewel. Why do you suppose she hasn't arrived yet?"

Souta was starting to have his doubts. Why _wasn't_ she there yet? Kagome was his _sister_, his ultra-cool, youkai-ass-kicking _sister_. She had to come and get him. She just had to.

"I can tell you why she hasn't come," Naraku said. "It's because the Shikon no Tama is more important to her than you are. All this time, she's been planning to use it herself, to make herself more powerful. I thought that perhaps she loved you enough to give that dream up, but I see now that I was mistaken."

Souta wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what Naraku was doing. _He's trying to turn me against her, but why?_ He felt that some of what Naraku said was true, but he was sure that most of it was a lie. But which part? His sister really did love him. Right?

Souta slumped against the wall and sighed in feigned defeat. "Then you might as well let me go, if she's not going to hand over the jewel shards for me."

Naraku gave him a twisted smile. "In time, perhaps. I may have some use for you yet. In the meantime, you will remain as a _guest_ of mine." He turned his back and went back up the stairs, satisfied that he'd planted the first seeds of doubt in the boy's mind. By the time that damned miko found him, Souta's soul would be twisted and dark enough to fully corrupt the completed Shikon no Tama.

Killing people was a nice pasttime, but destroying their souls was so much more fun.

* * *

"K-Kouga?"

He certainly had changed since Kagome had last seen him, earlier that morning...or five hundred years ago. His hair was longer, reaching down to his waist now, and he looked a bit older too. There was a wisdom in his eyes that she hadn't seen there before, and a certain hardness too. Of course, there was also the fact that he had traded in those animal skins for a pair of well-fitting jeans, black boots, and a white t-shirt, topped by a black leather jacket.

"Kagome," he said, stepping forward around Inuyasha to clasp her hands, "I'm so sorry. I only just found out that you're still alive, that you were from the future. If only I had known--"

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you in the first place. We just had to be so careful. More people knowing that I was from the future meant that it was more likely for Naraku to find out. And then when we knew that he had, you were injured, and I didn't want to-- Hey, what happened to your leg?" Kagome stared down at his left leg, which appeared to be intact.

Kouga grinned. "Grew back, of course. Only took about a hundred years. Itched like hell."

"Oh, I'm so glad," Kagome said, her eyes brimming over with tears. "It was all my fault! If I hadn't broken the jewel in the first place--"

"Nah, don't worry about it. Turned out for the best anyway. While my leg was growing back, I had to learn how to lead the pack with my brains instead of my brawn. It was a very useful lesson."

"Thank you for saying that, Kouga, but--"

"Ahem. If you're through with the reunion, maybe we could find out exactly what the mangy wolf and my bastard brother are doing here?" Inuyasha said, glaring at Kagome. She blushed when she realized that they had an audience: all her friends from the Sengoku Jidai, the detectives, Koenma, Botan, the ogre, and Sesshoumaru. She pulled her hands away from Kouga and looked over at Hiei, only to find him glaring at her.

"Still as foolish as I remember, little brother," said Sesshoumaru. "And yet, you manage to surprise me. I thought that it would be obvious why we are here."

Inuyasha stepped forward with his hand on the hilt of the Tessaiga. "Listen up, you sonofa--"

"That is quite enough, thank you very much," interrupted Koenma, narrowing his eyes at the two brothers. "We are all here to work toward one purpose, and that is to defeat Naraku. If you two can't control yourselves enough to end this useless squabbling, at least until the mission is over, then I'm not going to include either of you in the plans. Got it?"

Sesshoumaru nodded, and Inuyasha crossed his arms and said, "Feh!" which everyone took to mean that he'd stop trying to kill his brother for the time being.

"Sesshoumaru is here to witness the signing of your debt papers. He informed Kouga of the recent events concerning Naraku's reappearance, who expressed a desire to take part in the mission," explained Koenma.

"You still want revenge after all these years?" asked Kagome.

Kouga leaned back against the wall with his hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face. "Of course. I can't allow Naraku to get away with what he did to my tribe, five years later or five hundred years."

"Oi! Save it for when you've got a private room, you two! In case you've forgotten, I'm about to sign my life away to Reikai because of Kagome's stupid little deal." Inuyasha was fuming. First, his stupid brother was here. Second, he got knocked over the head by the stupid wolf. And to top it all off, Kagome was _chatting_ with him. He'd had enough. Inuyasha wanted to see how she liked it when he stopped protecting her from Kouga's advances.

Koenma cleared his throat. "Actually, I think you'll find the debt more than acceptable." He handed Inuyasha a slip of paper, which the hanyou glanced over quickly.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "Probation?"

Koenma nodded. "Your sentence is to check in with Botan once every decade."

"What about living in Kagome's world?"

Koenma sat down at his desk. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. It all depends on you, Inuyasha, and how you handle yourself. I can't very well give you a free pass to Ningenkai without knowing anything about you, but if you prove yourself to be a worthy ally and not a threat to humans, the possibility exists that I will allow you free access across the barrier."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. _Not a threat to humans, eh?_ That meant he couldn't kill that stupid Houjou guy who was always tagging after Kagome. The weakling wasn't good enough for her. _I guess she'll have to handle that idiot herself._

Inuyasha scrawled his name on the bottom of the paper and handed it back to Koenma, who showed it to Sesshoumaru.

"Is this to your satisfaction?" Koenma asked.

"Indeed. I will no longer be obligated to end his pathetic life."

A low growl started to rumble in Inuyasha's chest, and Kagome laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't let him get to you," she whispered. "He's just posturing."

Sesshoumaru, of course, could hear this, and he sent her a glare that promised a slow and painful death, which only increased the volume and intensity of Inuyasha's growl.

Koenma sank further into his chair and rubbed his temples. _We'll be lucky if they don't all kill each other before we even find Naraku._ He cleared his throat to draw everyone's attention back to himself.

"Kagome, I assume that you retrieved the last of the shards?" he asked.

Kagome reached under the neckline of the robes and pulled out the pendant that held the shards. "They're all here, every shard that Naraku doesn't have."

"Good. Yuusuke, what do you have to report?"

"Not much," Yuusuke said grimly. "We've checked and rechecked the stats on the barrier, and we still can't figure out how Naraku got through. It's the same as it was with Kagura. It's like they just appear and disappear without a trace."

Koenma frowned. "We're going to have to figure out a way to track him down." He turned to Kurama, who was standing quietly in the back of the room. "How are Kagome's family?"

"They are safe at Genkai's temple. She increased the protective wards around the grounds, and Kagome's mother and grandfather have settled in."

"What about Buyo? Did they take the cat?" Kagome asked.

Kurama smiled and nodded. "Your cat is safe. Yukina seemed to be particularly fond of him."

Yuusuke elbowed Kurabara, who was predictably drifting off into thoughts of Yukina and cats. "Pay attention."

"What? Hey, I am paying attention!"

Koenma cleared his throat again. "So Naraku has Kagome's brother, but we don't have a clue where they are. The rest of her family is safe for now. The last of the shards have been retrieved. Sesshoumaru's blood obligation has been superseded by Inuyasha's Reikai debt. We have added Kouga to the hunting party. Does that sum everything up?" He looked around the room, and nobody had anything to add. "Very well. Kagome, I'm sure you and your friends could use some rest. Botan will show you to some rooms you can use for the night. Tomorrow morning, we will discuss our strategy for locating Naraku. You're all dismissed."

Sesshoumaru immediately left for his lands in Makai, while Yuusuke and Kurabara went through a portal to Ningenkai. 

"I'll show you guys to the rooms," Botan said to Kagome and her friends.

"I'm going to stay here for a minute to talk to Kouga, all right? You guys go ahead," Kagome said. Sango and Inuyasha didn't look too happy about that, but they followed Botan with Miroku and Kirara. Miroku carried Shippou, who had fallen asleep during the meeting. Hiei and Kurama hung back, waiting for Kagome to finish talking to the wolf.

Kagome stepped out into the waiting room, and Kouga strode up to her and clasped her hands.

"Kagome, I was trying to tell you earlier. When you vanished five hundred years ago, I searched for you, but after a few years we gave up hope. My position in the tribe demanded that I take a mate, and since you weren't there..." He trailed off.

"You took another?"

Kouga nodded. "A wolf from the mountains, Ayame. She seemed to be the next best choice, and she was more than willing. If I had known, I would have waited for you, Kagome. You'll always be my first love." He smiled at her. "As much as I'd love to take you as my fourth mate, you deserve to be someone's first."

_Fourth mate?_ Kagome smiled back at him and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Kouga. I hope you're happy with Ayame and the others." _I never thought that you'd be the one trying to let me down easy._

"Just promise me you won't end up with dog-shit. He's not good enough for you."

"Inuyasha is a good friend of mine, and I'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from calling him names around me," Kagome said sternly. "Besides, Inuyasha and I have agreed we're not going to be together like that."

Kouga grinned. "Good. And any male who thinks he's good enough to be your mate is going to have to get past me first. I'm not just going to let anyone have you."

Kagome mentally groaned. _As if I don't have enough overprotective father-types trying to run prospective suitors off._ She hoped Houjou would steer clear of her from now on. If he so much as put his arm around her, he'd be lucky to end up with all four limbs intact.

"I've got to get back to the pack and let 'em know what's going on. I'll see you soon, Kagome." He kissed the back of her hand and left through a portal to Makai.

Kagome sighed after he left and looked over at Hiei and Kurama, neither of whom looked too happy. She rolled her eyes. _Testosterone._

"Did you guys want to talk about something?" she asked.

"I wanted to see how you're holding up. Hiei is probably waiting for you to give him his clothes back," said Kurama, pointedly ignoring the glare the fire apparition turned on him.

"Oh, I'd forgotten I still had this on," she said. "Thank you again for letting me wear it, Hiei. It was an awfully cold day." She pulled the robes over her head and handed them to Hiei. He started to put them back on, but when he saw her looking wistfully at his bare arms, he changed his mind.

'_**See something you like, Kagome**_?'

Kagome blushed. The way he said her name, drawing out each syllable, sent shivers down her spine.

Kurama didn't know what was being said, but the fact that there was a silent conversation going on didn't escape his notice. '_It would seem that Hiei's been busy. A shame._'

Youko sniffed. '_She smells of him, but not that strongly. She's still untouched for the most part. He should have taken advantage of all that time he had alone with her. It's a mistake we won't be making, once she's alone in our company._'

'_If Hiei actually likes her, and she returns the sentiment, I'd rather leave her to him,_' Kurama, frowning. '_It's not everyday that a girl comes along who's willing to look past the Jagan._'

'_And his lack of personality, and the fact that he can't hold a conversation, and his short stature, and his_--'

'_That's enough, Youko,_' Kurama said firmly. '_Hiei is our friend, and I don't want this to come between us._'

'_Fine. But we'll be there to pick up the pieces if he ruins it with her, and in the meantime, we can always look, can't we?_' Youko asked.

'_Indeed,_' said Kurama, running his eyes appreciatively over Kagome's body, drinking in the curves that the taijiya outfit displayed so prominently.

Inuyasha walked up just in time to see Kurama appraising Kagome in a way that was more suited to a certain houshi. He frowned.

"Oi, Kagome, I think Sango's waiting up for you. You'd better go to bed."

Kagome yawned. "It has been a long day. I think I'll turn in. Goodnight, Kurama." She walked down the hall in the direction Inuyasha had come from, and Hiei followed silently. Kurama was about to go look for Botan, so he could get a portal back to his apartment when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see the inu-hanyou's disapproving frown.

"I don't like the way you were looking at Kagome," Inuyasha said. "If you know what's good for you, you'll back off, weasel."

'_Weasel?_' Kurama internally cringed at the cold calmness in Youko's voice, but he was bristling at the insult, too.

"From what I understand, you relinquished any claim on the girl a while ago. You have no right to tell me what I can and cannot look at."

Inuyasha growled. "If you think I'm going to turn her over to the first pretty face that comes along, you've got another thing coming."

"I dislike repeating myself," Kurama said with a frown. "You have no say in the matter. Are those ears on top of your head just for show, or is that pathetic brain of yours just too slow to process what I'm saying?"

That was the last straw for Inuyasha. It was the second time in as many days that his intelligence had been insulted, and he'd had enough. Without warning, Inuyasha's fist connected with Kurama's face in a punch that sent the avatar flying into the wall behind him. Kurama recovered quickly with a sidekick that Inuyasha managed to only partially dodge. The hanyou stepped back and winced from the blow to his ribs.

The two circled each other, Inuyasha snarling, Kurama wiping the blood from his nose. Inuyasha made the next move, swiping at Kurama's arm with deadly claws. Kurama jumped back, but not quickly enough: Inuyasha's claws tore through his jacket and left shallow welts on his upper arm. He sighed heavily.

"I know I can't expect you to appreciate the quality of good clothing, but did you have to ruin my best jacket?" He reached into his hair and pulled out a rose. Kurama didn't have claws, but the rose whip was a more than adequate counterattack. With a flick of his wrist, the thorned whip extended in a shallow arc, striking Inuyasha twice before the hanyou managed to dodge.

Inuyasha's fire rat fur protected him from being cut, but that damn whip thing sure did hurt. When the whip lashed out at him for the fourth time, Inuyasha leapt over it and came down with a kick to Kurama's chest that sent him flying back into the chairs behind him with a rather loud crash. Kurama lashed out again, and this time the whip curled around Inuyasha, who snarled as he tried to cut the whip with his claws. But each time he slashed, the whip grew back as quickly as it was cut. Kurama fed his energy into the whip, and it grew, twisting further and further around Inuyasha until he was wrapped up from his neck to his knees.

Inuyasha still had one arm free, though, and in a last-ditch effort, he yanked on the whip. Kurama stumbled forward, and in a flash, Inuyasha had one clawed hand around his neck, holding him a few inches off the floor. The whip around the hanyou squeezed tighter, the thorns digging into his side painfully. Inuyasha's grip on Kurama's throat tightened as well, and soon the avatar and the hanyou both found themselves struggling to breathe.

"What do you two think you're doing?"

Inuyasha and Kurama both turned to see Kagome standing with her hands fisted at her sides, looking like she was going to explode at any minute. Kurama slackened the whip, and Inuyasha released him.

Kurama recovered first. "I apologize, Kagome, we were just--"

"I didn't like the way he was looking at you," Inuyasha interrupted bluntly. Then he shrugged. "He's stronger than I thought. I guess you have my permission to 'date' him."

Kurama looked pleasantly surprised, but Kagome, on the other hand...

"WHAT? You think I need _your_ permission to date someone? Have you lost your mind?" Inuyasha and Kurama both stepped back from the verbal assault. "And you!" Kagome yelled, pointing at Kurama. "You think I'm some sort of prize that you can win, huh?"

"No, I--"

"Men!" Kagome threw her hands up in exasperation and stalked back down the hall.

Kurama looked at Inuyasha just in time to see the sly grin on his face.

'_It seems that we underestimated his deviousness,_' said Kurama.

'_Yes, I think we did_.'

Inuyasha rubbed his bruised side, and his grin widened as he followed her back to the room. Kagome was pissed at him now, but it was worth it.

Gods, how he loathed kitsune.

* * *

Kagome couldn't sleep. _Stupid insomnia._ She tossed and turned on the futon, trying to find a comfortable position, but she couldn't stop thinking about Souta. She felt so guilty, having a soft place to sleep near her friends while her little brother was probably shackled up somewhere.

Finally, she peeked out from under the covers. Miroku and Sango both looked to be sound asleep. Inuyasha was sitting up in a corner with his eyes closed, the Tessaiga propped up in his lap. Hiei was sitting in the window, gazing out over the darkened landscape of Reikai. Kagome rolled on her side, carefully moving Shippou from her stomach onto the futon.

Silently, Kagome slipped out from underneath the covers, adjusting the sleeping yukata as she stood. She padded softly out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. Hiei turned his head to watch her go; he'd give her a few moments alone before he followed her. He wasn't completely assured about her safety, even in Reikai; of course, he himself had proven exactly how inadequate Reikai's security was.

Kagome wandered through the empty halls until she came to a wide doorway that led out to a roofless porch. Night enshrouded the lands of the dead in darkness. Kagome sat down on the porch, tucking her knees up against her chest. She rested her chin on her knees and thought about Souta.

Was Naraku feeding him? Was he cold right now? Scared? Angry? Kagome sighed deeply. It hurt to the quick to know that Souta had been practicing the kata she'd taught him when he was captured. She hoped he didn't blame her for this, even as she blamed herself.

"All of this trouble, all of this pain. It's all because of me."

A single tear trickled down her cheek, but she didn't sob. Kagome hugged her knees tighter to her chest in an instinctive effort to protect herself from the pain. The knowledge that she was the cause of so much suffering made her feel more lonely than she'd ever felt before.

She didn't even flinch when she felt the touch of Hiei's hand on her shoulder. Kagome didn't say a word, but she was glad that he'd followed her. After a few moments of silence, she spoke in a whisper so low that human ears could not have heard her.

"How could you stand it, knowing that she was being held and tortured?"

Hiei didn't have to ask who she was talking about. He'd heard Yukina tell her about her ordeal with Tarukane.

'_**I didn't know it was her until we went to rescue her. She'd come to Ningenkai searching for her brother, and that's when she was captured**_.'

"How long did it take before you stopped blaming yourself?"

'_**I still do,**_' he said truthfully. '_**But taking responsibility for her, keeping her safe...that eases the guilt.**_'

Kagome nodded. "Maybe I can do something like that for Souta. Maybe then he'll forgive me." She absently fingered the pendant at her throat. She'd have to tell Koenma and Sesshoumaru about her 'Plan B' tomorrow, away from the rest of the group. She hoped that it would work, for everyone's sake. _Of course, with my recent track record, that's not too likely._

She leaned back against Hiei's legs, and he placed his hand on top of her head. At this proximity, he could feel the Jagan nudging him forward, pushing him closer to the girl. The eye's continued interest in her worried Hiei. He still wasn't sure what it wanted, but at times he could feel it searching her mental barriers on its own, seeking out some weakness that would allow it access. The only time she'd completely opened her mind to him, when she was overcome with the grief of Souta's disappearance, it had taken all of his strength to rein in the Jagan.

But as long as Kagome's mental defenses remained intact, Hiei supposed it wouldn't hurt to give into the eye's desire to be closer to her. He knelt down behind her and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling deeply and reveling in the scent. But after that momentary indulgence, he stood and held his hand out to Kagome.

"You should sleep."

Without a word, Kagome took his hand and allowed him to lead her back to the room. She laid down on the futon and curled herself around Shippou, pulling up the blanket to cover them both. The last thing she saw before she drifted off to sleep was Hiei's eyes glowing in the darkness, a gaze filled with a longing that she found both frightening and exhilarating.

* * *

Early the next morning, after a light breakfast of pastries and tea provided by Botan, everyone was gathered in Koenma's office again. Inuyasha couldn't seem to decide if he should scowl at Sesshoumaru, Kouga, or Kurama, so he settled on alternating between the three. Hiei found it amusing that Kurama had been added to the hanyou's list of People to Glare At. He'd heard the whole scuffle last night and had been impressed with Inuyasha's cunning. Too bad he was fighting the wrong youkai.

Kagome sat in a chair with Shippou in her lap, absently stroking his tail as she waited for the meeting to begin. Yuusuke and Kurabara were the last to arrive, and Koenma stood up, signalling that he was ready to start.

"I suppose we all agree that we're going to have to take preemptive action and hunt for Naraku in Makai. We can't risk him making the first move in Ningenkai, especially since he appears to have the ability to cross the barrier without detection. Now, we have to decide who is going to join the hunting party and how we're going to proceed. If anyone wants to back out, now is the time to do it."

The room was entirely silent. Kagome looked down at Shippou in her lap.

"Shippou, I'd like you to stay behind," she said.

"What? No way! I'm coming with you!"

Kagome sighed and scratched behind his ears. "This isn't going to be like the Sengoku Jidai. Makai is a dangerous place, and I'd never forgive myself if I lost you, too." Shippou started to protest, but Kagome held up her hand. "I want you to go to Genkai's temple and stay with Mama and Grandpa. You'll be safe there, and I'll sleep a whole lot easier knowing that you're there to protect them."

Shippou was conflicted. He knew that Kagome had added that 'protection' part just to appease him, to make him feel like he was doing something important. But that didn't mean that he could refuse the request. Even if it was a ruse, his honor wouldn't allow him to deny her. He lowered his eyes and grasped his tail in his hands, plucking at a few stray hairs.

"I guess so," he said in a voice full of dejection. He looked up at Kagome. "But you have to promise me that you'll come back. You can't leave me all alone."

Kagome smiled at him and ruffled his hair. "I promise I'll come back for you." She hoped it was a promise she could keep.

"Then that's settled," said Koenma. "Our next problem is the risk we're taking by sending two human females into Makai. Even if Sango and Kagome have the protection of the rest of the group, their presence is sure to draw unwanted attention. We have no idea how long this mission will take, and it's possible that they might become separated from the rest of the group."

"Genkai said she had some ideas about that," said Kagome.

Kurama stepped forward and placed a scroll on Koenma's desk. "She gave this to me when I took Kagome's family to the temple," he explained. "She said that the houshi should look it over, that it might help mask the girls' humanity."

Miroku raised an eyebrow and unrolled the scroll, quickly scanning the contents. He chuckled. "This is quite clever. I've never seen anything like it." He pulled a scrap of paper out of his robes and took a brush off of Koenma's desk. Dipping the brush into an inkwell, he painted some characters on the paper, murmuring something under his breath. When he was finished, he straightened and admired his handiwork.

Miroku motioned for Sango to come closer. She gave him a wary look. "You'd better not try anything funny, houshi," she said, but she walked forward to stand in front of him. Miroku moved to stand behind her and pulled down the collar of her kosode, pasting the ofuda to the back of her neck. He then stood back and looked at Inuyasha.

"Well? Notice anything?" he asked. Inuyasha leaned forward and sniffed. His eyes widened in surprise.

"I can't smell her," Inuyasha said. Miroku smiled and looked over at Hiei.

"What about you? What do you sense?" While the houshi didn't know the exact nature of Hiei's powers, he could sense that the youkai had strong telekinetic abilities.

"I can still sense her ki, but it is masked. Lower level youkai wouldn't be able to detect it."

Miroku gave a satisfied smirk. "That's what I hoped. As long as they're not bleeding, most youkai won't be able to tell that they're human."

Yuusuke snorted. "Yeah, but they still don't look anything like youkai," he said. "Have you seen what youkai females look like?"

"I've got that covered!" said Botan, raising her hand. "We'll take care of it this afternoon." Kagome and Sango both felt a twinge of dread at that, especially considering the eagerness in the ferry girl's voice and the glint in her eyes.

"We still have to gather supplies and get some different clothes for the houshi," said Yuusuke. "It's probably not a good idea to wander around Makai dressed like a holy man."

"You can consult with everyone after the meeting and compile a list," said Koenma. "You can go back to Ningenkai and purchase anything we don't have here. And you'll take Shippou to Genkai's while you're there." Yuusuke groaned at that, but the prospect of having access to Reikai's platinum card more than made up for the trouble.

"Now then," said Koenma, "does anyone have any idea where to start looking for Naraku?"

Sesshoumaru, who had been silent until now, stepped forward. "The most recent rumors of the Consumption place it to the north two days ago. My scouts picked up traces of Naraku's shouki in the area."

"Do you have any idea what direction he left in?" asked Koenma.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Again, the coward has covered his trail well."

Koenma frowned. "I guess that's as good a place to start as any. If there's nothing else, then we can get started on--"

"Koenma-sama?" Kagome interrupted. "I'd like to speak with you and Sesshoumaru-sama alone, please." There were more than a few raised eyebrows at that request.

"What the hell for, wench?" asked Inuyasha. His right eye was starting to twitch.

"There's something I have to speak with them about, and I can't have anyone else listening in. Please, just trust me."

Inuyasha growled. "I don't think I'm the one who has a problem with _trust_."

"I'm sorry. I do trust you, but you can't hear this. Nobody can. It's important that as few people know about this as possible," she said.

Inuyasha folded his arms and clenched his teeth together. "I'm not moving."

"Very well, then, little brother," said Sesshoumaru. He motioned toward the door, and Koenma walked out into the waiting room. Sesshoumaru grabbed Kagome by the shirt collar and hauled her out through the door before Inuyasha could protest. The door slammed shut, and no amount of pounding on Inuyasha's part could get it to open.

When Kagome's private meeting with Sesshoumaru and Koenma was over, the Reikai prince opened the door to his office to find a sulking hanyou on the other side.

"You finished with your little talk?" asked Inuyasha sarcastically. Truth be told, none of Kagome's friends liked the fact that she appeared to be planning things behind her back, but Inuyasha was the only one who felt truly betrayed.

Before Kagome could retort, Sango grabbed her arm and dragged her down the hall, stopping when she felt she was far enough away for no one to hear her.

"Sango? What's the matter?" asked Kagome.

Sango blushed. "How long are we going to be in Makai?" she whispered.

"To be honest, I have no idea. It could be weeks, if we don't find Naraku and he doesn't come after us."

Sango's blush deepened. "Ah, remember what Miroku said about the ofuda not working if we're bleeding?" Kagome nodded. "Well, you see, in a couple of weeks..." She trailed off, knowing that Kagome would pick up on what she was hinting at.

"Oh? Oh! That would be a problem," Kagome said. She thought about it for a bit, and then she snapped her fingers. "I've got it! Botan, could you please come over here?" she shouted.

Botan walked up to them. "What's up?"

"Botan, is there any way we can get a prescription for something, without going through a doctor?" Kagome asked.

Botan nodded and grinned. "Of course. I work in a bureaucracy. Forgery is a way of life around here, so a doctor's prescription shouldn't be a problem. What do you need?"

Kagome leaned forward and whispered, "Sango and I will need prescriptions for birth control pills."

"BIRTH CONTR--" Kagome clamped a hand over Botan's mouth.

"Shh! It's just to keep us from having our periods while we're in Makai!"

"Pills? You want us to take medicine?" asked Sango.

"A friend of mine uses them that way. If you skip the placebos at the end of the month and go straight to the next pack, you won't have your period." Sango had no idea what she was talking about, but she nodded anyway. "I figure we'll need to take five or six packs each, just in case."

Botan handed Kagome a slip of paper and a pen. "Write down exactly what you want, and I'll get someone on it." She grinned. "Looks like Yuusuke's going to have an interesting visit to the pharmacy."

Kagome wrote down the name of the brand her friend used and asked for twelve packs. When the three girls walked back into the waiting room, Inuyasha was scowling at Kagome again.

"More secrets?" he sneered.

"Nothing you need to worry about," said Kagome. She started to walk back down the hall toward the room they'd slept in, but Inuyasha grabbed her by the arm and spun her around. Hiei felt a low growl start to rumble in his chest, but he quickly pushed it down.

"I think I'll be the judge of that," Inuyasha snapped. "You've kept enough secrets from us lately. First that Hiei business, and then Sesshoumaru, and now you're plotting with Sango and Botan! Out with it, wench!" His voice rose to a shout, and Kagome twisted out of his grip and put her hands on her hips.

"Fine!" she yelled. "You really want to know what Sango and I were talking about? We were discussing our monthly _menstrual cycles_! Happy now?"

Inuyasha's ears twitched, and he took a step back. Then Kagome seemed to finally notice that everyone else was still in the room, and she scowled and spun on her heel, stalking back down the hallway.

"Come on, Sango," she yelled over her shoulder. "Let's put together a list of what we need. That is, unless Inuyasha wants to supervise that, too!"

Sango shook herself out of her shock and trotted down the hall after Kagome. The guys watched them until Kagome slammed the door behind her, and then Yuusuke and Kouga burst out laughing.

"You really did it that time, dog-breath," said Shippou, shaking his head disapprovingly. Inuyasha just flattened his ears to his head and slunk off in the opposite direction from Kagome.

* * *

"Goodness, Kagome, what's come over you?" asked Sango, once they were alone in the room.

Kagome sighed heavily and sat down on a futon. "I don't know. I thought that my relationship with Inuyasha had improved after we agreed to just be friends, but now it seems like all we do is fight."

"Well, he is used to being the leader of the group. It seems like you've been doing all the planning lately, and you're leaving him out of it. Maybe that's what's bothering him."

Kagome frowned. "I wish he would just trust me. I'm not the same little girl I was when I fell down the well for the first time. Do you think I'm doing the right thing? Do you think it was a mistake to ally ourselves with Reikai, and Sesshoumaru and Kouga?"

Sango sat down next to Kagome on the futon. "You've gathered the strongest allies we could hope for. We don't know anything about Makai, and without someone to guide us, we'd have no chance to find and defeat Naraku. I was angry with you at first, when I learned that you'd brought Hiei through the well without telling anyone, but if you hadn't done that, who knows whether we would have trusted them enough to let them join us?"

Kagome nodded. "If I hadn't known Hiei, and seen that he knew Yuusuke and Kurama, I probably would have let Inuyasha blast his way out of the dojo that night. I would have missed Kagura's visit, and we still might not know that Naraku is here in the future."

"But why did you want to talk to Sesshoumaru and Koenma without us? I think that's what really got under Inuyasha's skin. You're plotting something with his brother."

"I've got a backup plan, but it's something I really can't tell anyone else. It's not that I don't trust you guys, it's just that it's...complicated. What I'm going to do is dangerous, and it will be a whole lot simpler if nobody knows what it is."

Sango frowned. "Did Sesshoumaru and Koenma approve of your plan?"

"Yeah. They were actually pretty impressed."

"I'll trust Sesshoumaru's opinion. I don't trust _him_, but his opinion on battle tactics... He hasn't survived for hundreds of years and ascended to the rank of a Lord without learning a lot about war. If he says it's a good plan, then I'm sure it is."

"I wish Inuyasha would trust me, too," Kagome said with a sigh.

"Maybe you should try to explain it to him like you did with me."

"I'd try, but it seems like every time I talk to him lately, he gets all defensive and snappy."

"Maybe you should try talking to him alone," suggested Sango. "When other people are around, it's too easy for his pride to get hurt."

"That's probably a good idea. He is easier to deal with when he's not posturing for an audience. I'll give it a shot later today. Now, we need to decide what to bring with us to Reikai."

"We'll need plenty of bandages and one of your first aid kits," said Sango. Kagome nodded.

"I'm sure that will come in handy. Knives, food, cooking supplies... That's all stuff I'm sure that the guys have thought of. What about clothes?" asked Kagome.

"If Makai is as dangerous as they say it is, I'm probably going to wear my armor at all times."

Kagome tapped her chin with her finger. "That's a good idea, but wouldn't we draw a lot of attention walking around dressed like taijiya?"

"Yes, the wrong kind of attention, too. I guess we can wear something over the armor," suggested Sango.

Kagome nodded. "If Makai seasons are the same as they are in Ningenkai, it'll probably be cool enough that we won't overheat."

Sango shrugged. "I'll probably just wear this over my armor," she said, indicating the kusode and mo-bakama that she used for daily wear.

"I'll ask Yuusuke to pick up a yukata for me," said Kagome. "That'll be easy enough for me to slip out of quickly if we're attacked. Can you think of anything else we'll need, besides the usual camping supplies?"

"Other than those pills you were talking about, no. We should probably go talk to the guys now," said Sango.

Sesshoumaru and Kouga had already left to prepare back in Makai, and Botan and Koenma were in Koenma's office, but the guys were still in the waiting room, making a list of what they needed.

"Don't forget to take some pocky," Shippou was saying when Kagome and Sango walked in.

Yuusuke looked up from the list he was making. "You girls have anything to add to this?" he asked. Kagome took the list from him and looked it over.

"It looks like you've got all the basics covered. You need to add shampoo and soap, though. I'll also need you to buy me a yukata to cover my taijiya uniform," said Kagome. "And I believe Botan will be giving you a prescription to get filled at the pharmacy," she added with a wicked grin.

"Why?" asked Yuusuke. "You sick or something?"

Kagome just laughed. "You'll see."

The door to Koenma's office opened, and Botan walked out. She handed a slip of paper to Kagome. "Does that look okay?" she asked. Kagome looked over the prescription and nodded, handing it to Yuusuke.

"Ortho Tri-Cyclen?" he asked, frowning. "What's that?"

Botan giggled. "It's--"

"Oh, he'll find out soon enough," Kagome said.

Yuusuke grumbled something under his breath about scheming women and pocketed the prescription sheet. "If there's nothing else to add, I'd better get going. I'll be lucky to get all this stuff before nightfall. You coming, Shippou?"

Shippou launched himself into Kagome's arms. "I'll miss you, Kagome," he said. Kagome ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead.

"I'll miss you too, sweetie, but when this is all over, you and I are going to be spending a lot of time together, just playing, and we won't ever have to worry about the jewel or Naraku again."

"Playing? Just you and me? You promise?" Shippou asked eagerly.

Kagome laughed. "I promise. Make sure you keep an eye on my family for me, okay? And watch out for Grandpa's ofuda. They're not powerful enough to hurt even Myouga, but they'll stick to your hair."

"I'll protect them," said Shippou. "You can count on me!"

Kagome gave the kit one last hug. "I love you, Shippou."

"I love you too, Kagome," whispered Shippou. Fighting back the tears in her eyes, Kagome handed the Shippou to Yuusuke, and the kit quickly scrambled onto his shoulders. Botan opened a portal to Ningenkai, and Shippou turned to sadly wave at Kagome as Yuusuke stepped through and disappeared from sight.

Kagome took a deep breath and straightened herself. She looked over at Inuyasha, who had his arms folded over his chest and was avoiding her gaze.

"Inuyasha, I'd like to speak with you alone, please," Kagome said. Without waiting for his reply, she turned around and walked down the hallway to the porch that she'd found the night before. Inuyasha debated whether to follow her for a moment, but curiosity got the best of him.

She was standing off to the side of the porch with her hands clasped behind her back, facing away from the doorway, when Inuyasha found her. "I've been doing some thinking lately, and I don't want us to fight anymore," she said.

Inuyasha huffed. "If you would quit hiding things from me and making stupid decisions without asking me first, there wouldn't be anything to fight about."

"I know you're used to being the leader, Inuyasha, but I'm not a little girl anymore. Can't you see that?"

"How am I supposed to trust you if you keep plotting behind my back?"

Kagome sighed. "I'm really sorry about that, but you've got to trust me. What I discussed with Koenma and Sesshoumaru was a back-up plan that I hope I won't have to use, but it's something I had to plan for."

"If that's all it is, why can't you tell me? And why did you have to tell Sesshoumaru?"

"I told Sesshoumaru because the plan involves him. It hinges around his cooperation, so he had to know about it. And I can't tell you because if I do, you'll try to stop me."

"Then I was right! It is a stupid plan!" said Inuyasha smugly.

Kagome shook her head sadly. "No, it's not. Koenma and Sesshoumaru both said it was a great plan. But it's risky, and that's why I'm not telling anyone else about it. I don't want anyone to try and stop me from doing what I have to do."

"But that's crazy, Kagome! Why should you risk yourself? Why won't you let us help you?" Inuyasha's voice was raised, but Kagome could hear the pain behind his words.

"I have to take responsibility for the jewel. Naraku is as powerful as he is because of me. It's time I stepped up and took my role as protector of the jewel seriously. I thought that you, of all people, would understand that sometimes, honor and duty call for self-sacrifice." She turned around to look at him, and Inuyasha could see the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

Inuyasha didn't miss the veiled meaning of her words. _Kikyo...my promise to her means that I'll follow her into hell._ He suddenly wondered just how closely her life was going to parallel his own. "Wait a minute. Do you mean that your back-up plan will kill you?"

Kagome shrugged. "It's risky, so it could. But not necessarily. I don't have to die in order for my plan to work."

Inuyasha chewed on his lower lip. _She's serious about this. I haven't been happy about her decisions, but she hasn't steered us wrong yet. She's my best friend. I don't have to like it, but..._

"I'll trust you, Kagome. But I'm going to be one step behind you the whole way, and the minute something goes wrong, I'm pulling you out of danger," he said firmly.

Kagome smiled. "I didn't expect anything else from you, Inuyasha." She stepped forward and gave him a heartfelt hug, and Inuyasha rested a hand on her head, gently stroking her hair. She stepped back and looked up at him.

"I'm glad we had this talk. I'm sorry we fought so much about this," she said.

"Feh. Let's go back inside and find something to eat. I'm starving."

Inuyasha followed his nose to a large room, where everyone else had already gathered around a table stacked high with pizza boxes. Sango was picking sun dried tomatoes off of hers, while Miroku munched thoughtfully on a slice with extra cheese.

Sango quickly looked up when Kagome walked in. Kagome gave her a smile, and Sango looked relieved. Kagome picked up a slice of pizza and sat down next to Hiei.

"Have I missed anything important?" she asked.

Hiei snorted. '_**Just the idiots fighting over who got the last slice of something called "double-pepperoni."**_' Kagome giggled.

'_Sorry I kind of skipped out on everyone. I had to talk to Inuyasha. We've been fighting a lot lately,_' she confided.

'_**And did your talk clear things up?**_' Kagome thought she could hear a hint of jealousy in his words.

'_I think so. He's still mad at me for planning things behind his back, but he says he trusts me_.'

'_**Ch**_.'

Kagome finished the rest of her pizza in silence. Afterwards, she announced that she was going to take a nap, and everyone else went outside for some training. Two hours later, Kagome awoke refreshed and wandered out into the hall to find the rest of the group.

Yuusuke had just come back from Ningenkai, making three trips to bring all of the supplies through the portal. Kagome walked into the waiting room outside Koenma's office just in time to see him dump the last of the bags on the floor.

"That's the last time I play errand boy," Yuusuke said. "Aren't I supposed to be the leader here?" Hiei rolled his eyes.

"Surely you wouldn't trust the two thieves on your team with a credit card with no spending limit," said Kurama, "so Hiei and I couldn't go."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. And Kurabara is too stupid to follow a list," Yuusuke grumbled.

"Hey! I am _not_ stupid!"

Yuusuke ignored Kurabara and tossed a small paper bag across the room to Kagome. He smirked at her. "There's your girly prescription. You must have something interesting planned for the trip."

Kagome blushed, but she quickly recovered. "Unless you want an extended lecture on the specifics of the human female reproductive cycle, I'd suggest you refrain from making any further snide remarks." She giggled at herself. _I've been spending way too much time with Hiei and Kurama._

Yuusuke blanched. "Uh, never mind. I'm sure there's a perfectly innocent explanation that I really don't want to hear." He tossed her a larger bag, and Kagome reached inside and pulled out a beautiful dark green yukata with a simple pattern of bare tree branches in black. She gasped.

"Yuusuke, this is beautiful!" She slipped it on over her taijiya clothes and pulled it closed, admiring how well it fit her.

Yuusuke rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I picked out the one that looked like it would be the best camouflage," he said. "Wasn't really going for 'beautiful.'"

"Thank you anyway, Yuusuke. It's perfect!"

Botan walked in. "Yuusuke, did you get everything on the extra list I gave you?" she asked.

Yuusuke searched through the bags and picked up a large paper sack. "Here you are." He grinned wickedly at Kagome and Sango. "I can't wait to see how it turns out."

Botan grabbed the girls by the hand and dragged them down the hallway. "Come on! We've got a lot of work to do!" Sango and Kagome exchanged horrified looks. What on earth was the ferry girl planning?

* * *

Two hours later, Kagome and Sango stormed back into the room with Botan hot on their heels.

"But I'm not finished!" cried Botan. She was waving a couple of small plastic bottles at the girls.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll back off," Sango snarled, hefting the Hiraikotsu protectively in front of her. Miroku couldn't help but admire the way her amber eyes flashed in anger at--

_Wait a minute...amber eyes_?

Since Sango was protecting herself a little too carefully, Botan turned pleading eyes on Kagome. "Pretty please?"

"Absolutely not," Kagome said firmly. "We've fought plenty of youkai with black hair. There's no reason for us to go through this."

Botan looked positively devastated. "But...but you'd look so darned _cute_ with purple hair!"

Kagome tried to duck behind Yuusuke, but he sidestepped her with an amused grin. Botan lunged for her with the bottle of hair coloring, but Kagome squealed and grabbed Hiei's arm, pulling him in front of her.

Botan stopped short with two pairs of crimson eyes glaring back at her. "Aw, Kagome, you're no fun!"

Kagome gave a derisive snort. "You've been playing way too many video games. All those characters with funny-colored hair."

Inuyasha coughed, cutting Botan's protest short. "Um...Kagome? Are your eyes red?"

Botan beamed proudly. "Aren't they great?"

"Indeed they are," said Miroku, gazing so intently at Sango's eyes that she blushed furiously. "Tell me, how did you do this?"

"Oh, the eye color isn't permanent. They're extended-wear colored contacts, little pieces of plastic that change your eye color. I had Yuusuke pick up a half-dozen pair for each of them, just in case they lose some during a battle or something."

Kurama's eyes twinkled mischevously as he looked over at Hiei and Kagome, now with coordinating eyes. Hiei could hear Youko clucking his tongue. '_You two look positively incestuous._'

'**_Fuck you._**'

"I still don't see why this was necessary," said Sango.

"We're trying to pass you two off as youkai to the casual observer, right? How many youkai have you come across who have brown eyes?"

Sango huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "This is stupid."

Miroku stepped forward and took Sango's hand. "Sango, you are beautiful no matter what color your eyes are. As a matter of fact, I'd still be honored if you'd agree to bear my--" Stopping short, Miroku blinked and looked down at Sango's hand. "Are those claws?"

Sango jerked her hands back and glared at Botan. "She made us put on fake nails, too."

"If we're finished showing off your handiwork, I'm going to go work on my archery before dinner," said Kagome. She left Sango to deal with Miroku's wandering hands and went back to the bedroom to retrieve her bow and arrows.

A piece of wood leaned up against the wall of the Reikai palace served as a makeshift target, and Kagome poured all of her frustration into shooting off hamaya as fast as she could draw the arrows from her quiver. In less than two minutes, she was out of arrows. She went to pull them out of the wood, and when she turned back around, she saw Hiei leaning against one of the pillars.

'_**You are unhappy with your appearance,**_' he observed.

Kagome sighed and rubbed her forehead. "It just feels so silly, like we're playing dress-up. We're supposed to be hunting down Naraku and rescuing Souta, but instead we're wasting time doing my nails and changing my eye color."

Hiei shrugged. '_**A few hours will not make much of a difference. We do not even know Naraku's location.**_'

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" Kagome snapped.

Hiei's eyes flashed dangerously. '_**If you're looking for someone to coddle you and tell you everything will be all right, you should look elsewhere. I am certain the wolf or the hanyou would be happy to give you that kind of comfort.**_'

Kagome was confused. _He didn't seem to have a problem comforting me in the past,_ she thought bitterly. She scowled at him. "Men! Gods help me, Hiei, but if I didn't like you, you'd find out just how dangerous it is to mess with a miko with hamaya in her hands!" She turned around and started back toward the palace, but Hiei grabbed her by the arm and turned her back around.

'_**You still smell of the hanyou,**_' he said accusingly, tightening his grip on both arms.

Kagome's brow wrinkled in confusion. "That's why you're mad? Because I gave Inuyasha a hug? I hug all of my friends!"

Hiei grabbed a fistful of hair at the back of her neck and pulled her into a short but bruising kiss. '_**And that? Do you do that with your friends, too?**_'

"Of course not!" Kagome shouted. "You know better than that! Gods, Hiei, what do you want from me?"

He pushed her up against a pillar and pinned her there with a hand on each side of her head. '_**You will refrain from being physically affectionate with the other males,**_' he said firmly.

"Who do you think you are, telling me I can't hug my friends?" Kagome asked, glaring at him. "You think that just because you've kissed me, you can tell me what to do?"

Hiei pushed himself against her, and Kagome gasped when she felt something hard pressing at her hip through the layers of fabric. When Hiei spoke, his voice was low and dangerous. '_**I told you, miko. You don't know what you do to me.**_'

Kagome felt a shiver run down her spine. She'd started to think of him as just another boy, after all the kissing business started. But the deadly gleam in his crimson eyes, the growl she could feel in his chest, the white headband on his forehead covering the third eye... No, Hiei was so much more than just another boy. He was youkai, powerful and perilous, and what she was doing with him was probably awakening gods-only-knew what kind of instincts. She was playing with fire, and it was thrilling.

She reached up and traced her finger lightly down his cheek. "No, Hiei," she whispered, "I think I know exactly what I do to you."

Hiei was surprised at her response and was sorely tempted to take advantage of it then and there, but he could sense the hanyou coming nearer. So he dropped his hands to her waist and leaned forward to kiss her fiercely on the lips, pushing her back against the pillar in a display that would show the hanyou exactly what Hiei's intentions with the miko were.

By the time Inuyasha wandered onto the scene, Hiei was growling and nipping at Kagome's neck, while she whimpered and clutched at his shoulders.

In short, Inuyasha had the shock of his life.

His jaw dropped, and he stared in wide-eyed amazement at the scene before him. It took a while for his brain to process it. His sweet and innocent Kagome, on whom he'd given up any claim because he didn't think himself good enough for her, was panting and moaning in the embrace of the short, antisocial youkai. He turned away and coughed. _Gods...at least they're fully clothed._

Kagome pushed away from Hiei when she realized they were no longer alone. Over Hiei's shoulder, she could see Inuyasha standing with his back turned to them.

"If you're finished with whatever it is you're doing, you might want to come in. Dinner's ready," Inuyasha said quietly.

Kagome blushed and gave Hiei an apologetic smile before she picked up her bow and quiver and trotted after Inuyasha, back into the palace. Satisfied that the hanyou now knew where Kagome's affections lay, Hiei followed her inside. Now he just had to get the wolf to back off.

* * *

_In Makai_...

Souta was only half-conscious when the sound of footsteps registered in his ears. He made up his mind not to bother looking up, but when the smell of hot food reached his nose, his hunger took over, and he lifted his eyes to see Naraku holding a bowl out to him.

"I did not realize that you weren't being fed properly," said Naraku. "Accept my sincere apologies."

Souta regarded the hanyou warily. He didn't trust him, not for a moment, but he took the bowl and lifted it to his lips. _Vegetable soup?_ Despite his misgivings, Souta slurped it up greedily, savoring every last drop of the broth. When he was finished, Naraku took the bowl back from him.

"I will see to it that you receive regular meals from now on. After all, you will be my guest for some time, and we can't have you withering away."

Souta glared at him. "Don't count on it. My sister will be here any minute, you just wait and see!"

"You'll forgive me if I have my doubts. As I said before, your sister's only interest lies in completing the jewel for her own selfish gains. Besides, any so-called rescue attempt on her part would put you in danger. Is that what you really want?"

Souta tried to quash the rising uncertainty that Naraku's words instilled in him. _My sister does love me. She will rescue me,_ he told himself firmly. But what would happen when she finally arrived? Souta shuddered. He wouldn't put it past Naraku to use him as a human shield.

Naraku tossed the boy a blanket. "You should get some sleep. If you like, perhaps tomorrow I will allow you a short walk in the gardens." Without waiting for a reply, Naraku turned his back and left the boy to his confusion.

Naraku smirked as he climbed up the stairs. He had covered his trail well, and after five hundred years, he was nothing if not patient. He knew that the miko would be hunting him soon, but the longer it took her to find him, the more complete his corruption of the boy's soul would be. He had already planted doubts in the boy's mind.

No, it would not take long for the boy to turn against his sister, and then the girl would be powerless to stop him.

A cold smile graced Naraku's lips. He could only imagine what she would be willing to do to gain her brother's freedom.

_Edited 17 May 2005_


	13. Tension

**Paradox**  


by Somnambulicious

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer**:  
I don't own either  
_Inuyasha_ or _YuuYuu_;  
Somebody else does.

* * *

**Chapter 13**:** Tension**

The boy hid his confusion well.

That's not to say that Naraku didn't notice the way he blinked at the strange color of the sky, or the furtive glances at the odd landscape surrounding his castle. But any questions the boy had about their location, he kept to himself. No, curiously enough, he had other questions to ask.

"How did you know where to find my sister?" Souta asked. After a lunch of onigiri and water, Naraku had taken him outside for a walk in the 'garden,' if the dry, barren patch of ground in the courtyard could really be called such. As it was, he and Naraku were the only living creatures in the 'garden.'

"I am a man of great patience," Naraku replied. "It was simply a matter of keeping an eye on that shrine and waiting. I knew she was bound to appear there sooner or later."

"Why didn't you just take it from her when she was a little kid?" Souta asked. After all, Kagome had the completed Shikon no Tama within her for fifteen years before she ever went through the well.

Naraku frowned. "You may think that I am a despicable creature. No doubt you do, from the stories your sister must have told you. But believe it or not, I have more honor than to attack a defenseless child." It was a lie, but the boy didn't have to know that. The truth was, Naraku was afraid that stealing the completed Shikon no Tama from the girl before her adventures began would have changed history to negate his very existence. It wasn't a chance he could afford to take.

"You didn't seem to have a problem attacking me," Souta pointed out.

"You were far from defenseless," said Naraku. "At least, I thought you were. One would have expected your sister to take better care of you."

There it was again, that nagging doubt in the back of Souta's mind. He had never questioned his sister's love for him before, never questioned her altruistic motives or the trustworthiness of her friends. After all, he was just a kid. Who was he to question his youkai-ass-kicking, big-time-adventure-having sister? He had always taken her word for it when she told him the stories about Naraku. But what if she was mistaken? What if she was lying? After all, hadn't he learned in history class that there were two sides to every story?

Souta glanced over at his captor. Naraku wasn't anything like how he had imagined the evil hanyou. From Kagome's stories, he'd pictured Naraku to be a giant tentacle-monster with horns and claws and fangs. But to his surprise, Naraku looked even more human than Inuyasha did. He knew Naraku was more dangerous than he appeared, though. Souta unconsciously fiddled with the bandage on his left hand. _He cut off my finger without a second thought. Kagome would never do something like that. Inuyasha would never do something like that._

It didn't take a telepath to see where the boy's train of thought had taken him. Naraku knew he was thinking about his finger. He smirked. _Time to pull out the big guns..._

"Do you know how many of my children your sister and her friends have slaughtered?" he asked.

"Children?" Souta was surprised. Kagome had never said anything about Naraku being a father.

"Of course, she wouldn't tell you. She probably thinks you're too young to understand. Nevertheless, the truth is undeniable. Your sister and her allies have killed my children. What do you think my honor demands of me? Do you not think me lenient, for taking only your finger?"

Souta knew there had to be more to the story than he was hearing here, but he didn't doubt that Kagome and her friends had killed some very close allies of Naraku. So why hadn't Naraku killed him, if Kagome wasn't coming for him? On the one hand, it gave Souta hope that his sister was coming for him after all, and that Naraku had been lying the whole time. The other possibility...Souta wasn't so sure how that made him feel. If Naraku was telling the truth, and he had spared Souta's life out of benevolence, then maybe he wasn't _all_ bad. But what would that mean for Kagome?

Naraku could feel the confusion pouring off of the boy, and he was pleased. So far, everything was going according to his plan. "You are tired. Come, you should lie down and rest. The gardens will still be here tomorrow, and so will you." Naraku led Souta back inside the castle and down the stairs to the basement. To Souta's surprise, a small futon had been laid out for him. Naraku still insisted on the shackles, but Souta was grateful for a soft place to sleep.

* * *

Kagome was the first of the humans to wake that morning, surprising even herself. Seeing that everyone else was still asleep, she closed her eyes and attempted to get a little more rest before their mission began, but found that the adrenaline had already kicked in, and she couldn't sleep. After ten minutes, she gave up, grabbed her clothes, and headed outside for what would surely be her last opportunity to bathe in a long, long time.

Kagome had been surprised and delighted when Botan told her about the waterfall not far from the palace. Botan and her colleagues used it regularly to ritually cleanse themselves, and as a miko, Kagome could understand the importance of these rituals.

As she approached the waterfall, which seemed to fall straight out of the sky into a barren rocky pool, Kagome could feel the strong, peaceful presence of the waterfall's slumbering kami. She kneeled and bowed toward the waterfall, silently thanking the kami for allowing her to bathe and purify herself here. Then she stood, removed her clothes, and stepped under the falls.

Kagome let the cold, clean water flow over her for a good five minutes before she retrieved the shampoo bottle and got to work on her hair. She washed her hair three times and scrubbed her skin until it was practically raw. Just as she was ready to step out of the pool and dry herself, she felt the sleeping kami stir.

Kagome stood perfectly still as she felt the spirit reach out to her and brush up against her. She could feel the kami's curiosity, and so she waited patiently for it to finish its inspection of her. When she felt the kami retreat back into its ageless slumber, Kagome stepped out of the pool and reached for her towel.

She towel-dried her hair, scowling at her reflection in the pool below. Her eyes were still red, of course; the extended-wear contacts could be worn even while she was sleeping. She brushed through her hair a couple of times and decided to let it air-dry in a loose bun, so it would be a little curly later. Then she donned her taijiya uniform and armor, with the new green yukata to cover it. After a bit of maneuvering, she managed to conceal her wakizashi under the yukata without too many bulges. She took one last look in the reflective pool, surprised that she didn't look half bad. With her hair up like that, she actually looked a bit more mature.

Kagome went back to the room to double-check her supplies. Kirara was still curled up asleep on Sango's futon, but Miroku, Sango and Hiei were absent, leaving Inuyasha and Kagome alone in the room. She took a deep breath when she walked in, a bit nervous at the confrontation she knew was coming. She didn't say a word, but instead went straight to the new backpack laying next to her futon.

"So, it's Hiei, is it?" Inuyasha asked quietly. Kagome flinched.

"Yeah, I guess," she said.

"How long?"

Kagome was thankful her back was turned to the hanyou, so he couldn't see her blush. "He kissed me the night Souta was taken."

Inuyasha grunted. "Three days, then? You seem to be moving fast, Kagome."

Kagome didn't miss the bitterness in that statement. She couldn't really blame him. After all, she'd had a crush on Inuyasha for two years and never once really acted on it. But then again, he'd never given her any indication that he returned her feelings. She felt the color rise in her cheeks again, but this time with anger. She whirled around to face Inuyasha.

"You have a problem with Hiei? Tell me right here and now. I want to clear the air before we leave for Makai," she said.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her. "I just want to be sure you're not distracted. Don't forget that it's your little brother out there in Naraku's clutches."

Kagome was seething. "You think I could forget something like that? Do you really think it ever leaves my mind? Gods, Inuyasha, I would have thought you'd know me better than that right now!"

"Well, you sure as hell aren't acting like it!"

"What do you want me to do? Mope around and act like it's the end of the world? I'd think that you, of all people, would understand. After all, your former lover is wandering around undead back on the other side of the well, feeding off of the energy of innocent souls, and yet you still have the wherewithal to fight with Kurama over how he looks at me. At least there's some hope for Souta that he'll live a normal life again. What hope does Kikyou have? How do _you_ cope with that?"

Inuyasha was stunned. Kagome had never called him on his relationship with Kikyou before, especially not like this. Kagome saw the crestfallen look on his face and immediately regretted her words.

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry. I didn't mean--"

"No, you're right," said Inuyasha. He slumped against the wall and sighed. "You're right. I shouldn't be angry that you're living your life. Time doesn't stop just because the ones that we love are in pain, does it?"

Kagome smiled sadly. "No, it doesn't. And if they truly love us back, then they'd want us to be happy. If we can find joy in the midst of all this pain, if we can find light in the darkness, then maybe we're worthy of that love, too."

_Joy in the midst of pain...do I have that?_ Inuyasha wondered. He thought about Kagome, and all the great times he'd had with her. Goofing off with Miroku, sparring with Sango and Kirara, chasing Shippou around the campfire after the kit's latest prank...yes, those were good memories. He smiled.

"You're absolutely right. But I want you to be careful. If Hiei so much as harms a hair on your head, I swear, Kagome, he's going to--"

"Yeah, yeah, you'll tear him limb from limb. Get in line. There's at least three other males threatening to do the same." Kagome smiled wryly.

"Feh. You know I'd be the first to protect you, Kagome."

"I know. You always have been." Kagome turned back to her new pack and resumed her perusal of its contents. She was glad that they'd gotten this last little fight out of their systems. Oddly enough, her relationship with Inuyasha seemed to improve after every little fight lately. She could only wonder how the others would react when they found out the true nature of her relationship with Hiei.

* * *

The group gathered in Koenma's office after a quick breakfast. Miroku was now wearing a pair of khaki pants and a black t-shirt, topped by a zip-up hooded sweat shirt. Hiei, who had been absent all morning, walked in last and took his place beside Kagome.

"Great. We're all here. Everybody ready to go?" asked Yuusuke.

"Where's Kouga and Sesshoumaru?" asked Kagome. "I thought they were going with us."

"They will be meeting up with you in Makai," said Koenma. "You'll be taking a portal to the place in the north where the Consumption was last reported."

"Hey, are you taking the kitty with you? I don't think that's a good idea," said Kurabara, eyeing Kirara in Sango's arms. Sango chuckled.

"There's more to Kirara than meets the eye," she said.

"Everybody got their packs? We're not coming back just because you guys forgot something," said Yuusuke.

"Let's just get going. I'm sick of all this waiting around. I want to see some action," said Inuyasha, cracking his knuckles.

Botan opened a portal to Makai. "There you go! Take care, and keep in touch!" she said cheerfully.

"Only Botan could treat a mission to Makai like a vacation," grumbled Yuusuke as he stepped through the portal.

"Yeah, only 'cause she isn't going," said Kurabara as he followed Yuusuke through. Botan's cheerful facade didn't slip until the last of the group had gone through and the portal closed. She shook her head and sighed.

"This mission...it doesn't feel like any of the others," said Botan.

Koenma frowned. "That's because it isn't. Naraku holds most of the cards. We've gathered some powerful allies, but for now, all we can do is watch and wait."

"I hope they'll be okay," said Botan.

"So do I," said Koenma. _For all our sakes..._

* * *

Kouga was waiting for them, leaning up against a tree near the clearing where the portal opened. "It's about time," he said as the last of the group stepped through and the portal closed.

"So this is where Naraku's shouki was last detected?" Miroku asked. Kouga nodded.

"This is the place. It was three days ago now."

Kagome frowned. "Three days...that was when he took Souta," she said.

"He probably sent a kugutsu for Souta," said Inuyasha. "That coward wouldn't dare show up in person where one of us was likely to find him."

Kagome took a look around the clearing. Even after three days, it was obvious that a struggle had taken place here. The ground was torn up in long gashes, and a few of the smaller trees had been uprooted.

"Maybe someone saw what happened," Kagome said. "Should we ask around?"

Kouga shrugged. "Probably won't do any good. Sesshoumaru already tried, and the locals weren't exactly forthcoming."

"Keh. Like his methods of persuasion would get anyone to open up. He probably beheaded them as soon as they clammed up," said Inuyasha.

"Well, it's as good a place as any to start," said Yuusuke. "Kagome, you sense anything?"

Kagome shook her head. "No. There aren't any shards nearby."

"Are you sure you can sense them, even if they're masked? You said the pendant you keep your shards in can hide their presence from youkai. What if Naraku has something like that?" asked Yuusuke.

"I can sense the shards even through the pendant. I don't think Naraku can hide them from me."

"Well, does anyone have any idea which direction we should go?" asked Yuusuke.

"There was a rumor about a human boy seen near here," said Kouga. "I heard he showed up in a town not far to the south four days ago."

"Could it be Kohaku?" asked Kagome. From the look on Sango's face, she knew that the taijiya was thinking the same thing.

"It's likely," said Yuusuke. "There's not exactly a lot of humans running around this place. Maybe Naraku sent him out as a scout."

"Well, what are we waiting for then? Let's get going!" At Inuyasha's statement, the group turned toward the south and started walking to the town where the human boy had been seen.

* * *

"The town is just over this rise," said Kouga. It had taken the group the better part of the day to get this far on foot, and everyone was tired.

Yuusuke turned to Kagome. "Kagome, maybe you and Sango should stay here. The town's going to be full of youkai, and we don't want--"

"No," said Sango firmly. Yuusuke opened his mouth to retort, but Sango said, "This concerns my brother, and I'm not going to be left out. Besides, I didn't put up with having my appearance altered for no reason."

"We really can take care of ourselves," said Kagome. "I realize you haven't seen us in action, but I assure you, Sango and I aren't your typical human girls."

Yuusuke sighed heavily, but he could see that the two girls weren't going to back down. "We're going to need a cover story for why we're looking for a human boy. The locals won't give up any information if we say he might be connected to Naraku. Any ideas?" he asked.

"Are they likely to give us any information anyway?" asked Kagome. "After all, Sango and I may be able to pass as youkai, but you, Kurabara, and Miroku are obviously humans. Kurama probably smells human, too."

"And Inuyasha is half-human," Sango pointed out.

Yuusuke frowned. "That just leaves you two, Hiei, and Kouga," he said.

"Don't forget Kirara," said Sango, petting the firecat on her shoulder.

"I don't like this," growled Inuyasha.

"I can take care of Kagome just fine," said Kouga, draping an arm around her shoulder. "She may not be my woman, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone-- Hey!" Kouga blinked, surprised at Kagome's sudden disappearance from under his arm. He turned to scowl at Hiei, who was now standing in front of the miko.

"She has no need of your _protection,_ wolf," said Hiei, staring impassively back at Kouga.

Kouga looked at Hiei, and then Kagome, and then back at Hiei again. Realization dawned on his face, and he laughed. "You? You think you're good enough for her, short-stuff?" He snorted. "You're an idiot if you think Kagome would fall for someone like you."

All eyes turned to Kagome, who was glaring at the wolf. "I'm so sick and tired of everyone thinking they can decide who's good enough for me! I'm not a little girl! I am more than capable of making those decisions for myself!"

Hiei smirked at Kouga, who was staring in shock at Kagome. "You-- You're not--" He turned to face Inuyasha. "You're supposed to protect her! How could you let this happen?"

Inuyasha folded his arms over his chest. "Like she says, she's a big girl. She can make decisions for herself." Inuyasha wasn't too happy with her choice, but at least it wasn't the wolf or the kitsune.

Kouga growled. "I don't like this one bit, Kagome. I've done some checking up on that so-called fire apparition. You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"On the contrary, Kouga, I know all about Hiei's past, and I don't care," said Kagome.

"I've got half a mind to take you back to the caves and keep you there," said Kouga. "You're obviously incapable of making sound decisions, and I have plenty of sons who would be more than happy to make you a proper mate."

Before Kagome could reply, Hiei's sword was at Kouga's throat. "You touch her and you die," snarled Hiei. It took every ounce of self-control Hiei had to keep himself from slitting the wolf's throat then and there. It didn't help matters at all that the Jagan had somehow recognized the threat Kouga posed to Kagome, and was pressing him to get rid of the obstacle that could interfere with its access to the girl.

Kouga looked sharply at Kagome, but she shook her head. "This nonsense has gone on long enough. If you have any intention at all of kidnapping me again, you'd better reconsider. If Hiei didn't kill you first, you'd have one unhappy miko on your hands. Trust me. I am not someone you want as an enemy." Kurama and Inuyasha both stepped forward to stand at Kagome's side, silently letting the wolf know that he'd have to get through more than just Hiei if he tried to take Kagome against her will.

"Fine," Kouga said bitterly, jumping back from Hiei's blade. "I only want what's best for you, Kagome."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I think I'm best person to be the judge of that," she said.

"If we're all finished bickering, perhaps the four of you had best head into town," said Kurama. "Nightfall is nearing. The rest of us will set up camp nearby and wait for your return."

Sango handed the Hiraikotsu to Miroku, who staggered under its weight. "I'll leave this here with you," she said. "It would draw unnecessary attention." Kagome left her bow and arrows behind as well, opting to rely on the protection of the wakizashi concealed beneath her clothes. The rest of the group watched in silence as the two girls, Hiei, Kouga, and Kirara walked over the hill toward the town. Yuusuke kicked at a pebble on the path.

"A taijiya, a miko, a hotheaded wolf, and the Forbidden Child," Yuusuke grumbled. "We'll be lucky if they don't slaughter the whole town."

"Wait...Hiei and Kagome...what the...huh?" Kurabara scratched his head in confusion. Inuyasha clapped him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, we can't figure it out, either," Inuyasha said. "It's probably best not to think about it."

Shaking his head, Kurabara turned and followed the rest of the guys into the forest, where they would set up camp and wait for the others to return.

* * *

As their little group topped the hill, Kagome handed Sango a small piece of white plastic. Sango looked at her curiously.

"Fangs," said Kagome, demonstrating by putting her own fake fangs over her real teeth. They were one of the items that Botan had added to Yuusuke's shopping list. They weren't too comfortable, but thankfully, they were much higher quality than the fake vampire fangs Kagome remembered from costume parties. Sango shrugged and fitted the fangs into her mouth, grimacing at the strange feel.

Kagome turned and gave Hiei a toothy grin, and he rolled his eyes. '_**I thought you didn't like 'playing dress-up.'**_'

Kagome stuck her nose in the air. '_Humph. You're no fun._'

"There's the town," said Kouga, pointing at a small group of buildings in a clearing at the bottom of the hill. At this distance, Kagome could just make out a few figures moving about in the streets, but she couldn't make out any details. Sango stroked Kirara in her arms, soothing the agitated firecat.

Kagome double-checked the ofuda on her back, just under the neckline of her clothing. She breathed deeply, calming herself as best she could. The slightest hint of fear could ruin everything for them.

Kouga took the lead, with Sango and Kagome side by side behind him and Hiei walking behind the girls. They got more than a few curious stares from the locals, but the group ignored them and headed straight for the best place to gather information: the local tavern.

Kagome and Sango stopped just inside the door, allowing their eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. Kouga headed straight for the bar and took a seat, motioning for the girls to join him. The girls stood behind him with their heads lowered in false humility. Hiei sat down next to Kouga at the bar.

The bartender, a hulking purple oni, ambled over to the newcomers, wiping the inside of a glass with a disreputable-looking rag. "What can I get you?" he asked, eyeing the two females standing demurely behind the males.

"Information," said Kouga, tossing the oni a small bag of coins. The bartender glanced inside the bag and shrugged, leaving it on the counter.

"Depends. What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Heard a rumor about a human boy seen in these parts a few days ago," said Kouga casually. "You know anything about that?"

The oni's eyes narrowed. "I might," he said, picking up another glass. "Why do you want to know?"

Kouga tilted his head back, indicating the females standing behind him. "The girls have developed a taste for human blood. Thought it might be a nice treat for them," he said with a grin.

The bartender chuckled. "I see. I take it you're rather attached to the girls then, going to all this trouble for them?" He leaned to the side so he could get a better look at the females, and his grin took on a lecherous quality. Hiei glared at him and let his youki flare up in warning.

The oni held up his hands innocently. "Hey, you can't blame me for lookin'. We don't get many females in these parts. New blood always draws a lot of attention," he said, indicating the way the rest of the bar's patrons were leering at the girls.

Kouga pounded his fist on the bar. "Do you or do you not have the information we're looking for? Because I'm sure I can find someone else who will appreciate my generosity." He shifted his hand to take the bag of coins, but the bartender quickly scooped it up.

"Okay, okay. It was four days ago that the kid was spotted on the northern outskirts of town. Young one, but dressed like one of those youkai slayers from the old world," the oni said with a shudder. "A couple of the locals went after him, but he left before they could stop him. Teamed up with a wind sorceress, he was."

Sango looked up sharply at the mention of the boy's clothing. _Kohaku...it has to be._ Kouga could sense her fidgeting behind him, so he decided to wrap things up here.

"That's it?" he asked, glancing around at the rest of the youkai in the bar. _If we don't get out of here soon..._

The bartender shrugged. "If it's human boys you're looking for, I heard a rumor about one showing up in a town to the south. No specifics, but it might be worth checking out."

"Thanks," said Kouga. "Let's go." The four of them left the bar quickly and headed out of town in the gathering darkness.

"We're being followed," Kouga said quietly once they had passed the last of the buildings in town.

"How many?" asked Sango, slipping her hand into her kusode to grasp the hilt of her sword.

"Four," said Hiei. "Hardly worth the energy."

Kagome gripped the hilt of her own sword beneath her yukata. She found the prospect of a fight oddly exciting. _It's been too long,_ she thought. In unspoken agreement, the four of them stopped on the path and turned around to face the youkai who were following them.

They didn't have to wait long. Four figures came into view in the darkness, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light.

"State your business," Kouga said sharply.

One of the youkai - a tiger, from the look of him - stepped forward. "Where are you going so late at night?" he asked. "We were insulted that you didn't take advantage of the inn's hospitality."

"We had no desire to remain in your filthy presence any longer than necessary," Hiei answered. A chorus of growls rose from the three youkai standing behind the tiger, but he sent them a sharp glare.

"Very well, then. I'll get to the point. How much do you want for the girls?" the tiger asked.

Kouga bared his fangs in a disdainful sneer. "They're not available," he said.

The tiger leaned forward and sniffed. "They don't smell like you're too attached to them. In fact," he said with a frown, "they don't smell like anything at all."

Kagome gave him a toothy grin. "The males insisted on the extra protection. They're very possessive, you know."

The tiger chuckled. "I can see why. You two are quite a catch. I'm surprised they let you out in public at all." He flexed his claws. "Rest assured, it's not a mistake that we will be repeating."

That seemed to be the signal to attack, because suddenly the four youkai leapt forward. With a snarl, Kouga jumped to meet the tiger in midair, delivering a preemptive punch to the gut that left the youkai staggering. Sango and Kagome stepped back and drew their wakizashi. Kagome tried to send her power into the blade, and cursed softly when she found that she couldn't. _Stupid ofuda isn't just masking my ki, it's repressing it!_

Meanwhile, a second tiger youkai swung a handful of razor sharp claws at Hiei, who dodged effortlessly. He dispatched the youkai in the blink of an eye with no less than a dozen strikes with his sword. The tiger fell in pieces at his feet, and Hiei flicked the blood off of his blade. "Weakling," he said derisively.

Kouga had snapped the first youkai's neck without much of a struggle and moved on to the second attacker, a moth youkai with a nasty poison attack. "Shit!" yelled Kouga as a stream of acid shot out to burn through his jeans at the knee. "You have no idea how hard it is to get good denim in Makai!" Even without the shards in his legs, Kouga was quick, and before the moth youkai could react, Kouga lashed out with his claws, severing his opponent's jugular vein.

That left only one youkai, a smallish reptilian creature who was trying to quietly slink away from the carnage. Kagome saw the youkai turn and run toward the town. "Hiei! He's going back for help!" she yelled.

Hiei took off after the reptile, and seconds later he was back, wiping black blood off of his katana on the grass. Sango and Kagome sheathed their wakizashi.

"You could have let us practice on one of them," Kagome complained.

"We were just protecting you," said Kouga, still frowning down at the hole burned in his jeans.

Kagome scowled. "Come on. Shippou probably could've taken them down."

"Yeah, whatever. Let's just find the others and tell them what we know." Kouga turned and followed his nose toward the camp with Sango and Kirara following close behind. Kagome glared at Kouga's retreating back for a moment before she followed him with Hiei at her side.

'_We really can handle ourselves,_' she said to Hiei.

Hiei shrugged. '_**There's no shortage of youkai to kill here. No doubt you will be able to slaughter to your heart's content soon.**_'

Kagome was taken aback at Hiei's wording. '_Is it that obvious that I'm spoiling for a fight?_'

'**_You hide the rage well, but it is simmering just beneath the surface. You need to fight to ease the frustration before it overwhelms you_**.'

'_I guess so. But I'm not like that, I'm not like.._.'

Hiei raised an eyebrow. '_**Like what? Like me?**_' He snorted. '_**You are only fooling yourself. You are miko by birthright, taijiya by training. Your anger over your brother's kidnapping has only awakened the killing instinct. You have killed before. It is only natural for you to thirst for the blood of your enemies.**_'

'_But...but that's awful,_' Kagome protested.

'_**Is it really? Does Naraku not deserve to die**_?'

'_He will die,_' Kagome said firmly. '_But what hope do I have for a normal life now? Can I ever go back to living like a regular human girl?_'

'_**Probably not**_.' '**_But is that what you really want?_**'

Kagome couldn't answer that, because she wasn't sure what she did want. Would she ever be truly happy with the life that most girls her age dreamed about, with an office job and a husband, a couple of kids and a mortgage? After what she'd been through, that sounded awfully boring to her. But what choice did she have? Once Naraku was defeated and the jewel destroyed, she would have no reason to continue this fantastic lifestyle.

Inuyasha jumped down from his place in a tree when the group straggled into camp. "Well?" he demanded. "What happened? What did you find out?"

"Not much," said Kouga grimly. "From what the barkeep said, it was Kohaku who was seen nearby four days ago, but he was with Kagura. He said that there were rumors of a human boy showing up in a town to the south."

"Should we go there?" asked Kurabara.

"Unless we come across a better lead, it's our only clue," said Yuusuke.

"Sesshoumaru has spies scouring the lands for information," said Kouga. "He said he would let us know if he picked up on anything."

Inuyasha frowned. "You reek of blood. You didn't say anything about a fight."

Kagome glared at Kouga. "Just a few youkai up to no good. Sango and I didn't even get a chance to fight."

"I told you, I was just protecting you, woman! You should be thanking me! And why aren't you yelling at Hiei? He killed just as many as I did!" yelled Kouga.

Miroku could feel the tension rising between Kouga and Kagome, and he decided that now was the perfect time to distract everyone before the situation escalated. He inched closer to Sango...just a little closer...

"Hentai!" Sango shrieked as she slapped Miroku's offending hand.

Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm beat. Goodnight, everyone." She snuggled into the sleeping bag that someone had laid out for her and closed her eyes.

"We leave at the crack of dawn, so I suggest everyone get their rest," said Yuusuke before settling down into his own sleeping bag. Kouga sat down with his back against a tree and munched on a strip of dried meat, while Hiei, Kurama and Inuyasha all took up positions in the trees. The rest of the humans were soon asleep around the dying campfire.

A cold drizzle greeted the hunters early the next morning. After a quick breakfast, they were on their way, taking a path through the forest to the north. Their second day in Makai was largely uneventful, except for a brief scuffle between Yuusuke and Kurabara during lunch over who had to carry the heaviest pack for the rest of the day (Yuusuke won.) Surprisingly, not a single youkai crossed their path, but that was probably due to the massive amounts of ki and youki they were broadcasting.

It wasn't until they were preparing camp for the evening that Sango managed to corner Kagome. The taijiya 'volunteered' the two of them to gather water from a nearby stream, and once they were away from the rest of the group, she turned a serious face on Kagome.

"Kagome? Are you sure you know what you're doing with Hiei?" Sango asked.

Kagome nervously shifted the cooking pot in her hands. "We haven't done anything..._big_ yet. It's just... He makes me forget about everything, even if it's just for a few minutes. And it's nice. He makes me feel... It's just incredible," she added with a blush.

Sango regarded her curiously. "Really? What exactly do you do?"

"So far, it's just been kissing. But Hiei is so intense..."

"So far?" Sango prodded.

Kagome blushed again. "Yeah. I know that now really isn't the time to be pursuing a relationship like this, but I'm beginning to wonder whether my life will ever be peaceful. I deserve at least a small amount of happiness, don't I?" Kagome asked.

Sango smiled. "Of course. Even in times of war, life must go on. But remember, he is full-blooded youkai. This isn't a hanyou you're dealing with here. If it's just a physical relationship you're looking for, that's one thing, but if you want something more, you might want to reconsider. For a youkai and a human to be together... It's never easy on either of them."

At this point, the girls reached the tiny stream, and Kagome knelt down to fill the cooking pot. "I'm not sure what I want from Hiei," she said softly. She turned a sly grin on Sango. "As long as we're being honest about relationships, what about you and Miroku?"

"What about him?" Sango asked defensively.

"Don't play innocent with me," Kagome said, waggling a finger at Sango. "I know you two are attracted to each other. What I want to know is, why haven't you done anything about it? Is it because of those wandering hands?"

Sango sighed. "That's part of it," she admitted. "He _is_ a lech, but I get the feeling that he wants something more serious with me. I just don't think I'm ready for that yet."

"You can't wait forever," said Kagome as she fell into step next to Sango, heading back to the camp. "There might never be a perfect time. In the end, all we really have is the moment."

Sango laughed. "You're beginning to sound like the houshi. You've changed, Kagome."

Kagome shrugged. "Not really. With everything that's happened, I've just learned that I have to enjoy the time I have with my friends whenever I can."

"Maybe you're right," said Sango. "But I still don't think I'm going to be bearing anyone's child anytime soon."

An hour later, after a hot meal, Kagome approached Hiei.

"So I hear you're pretty good with a sword," she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

Hiei kicked up an eyebrow at her understatement.

"You think you could show me a thing or two? I haven't had much practice lately, and I think I'm getting rusty," Kagome said.

"But, Kagome," said Kurabara, "I thought that you and Sango usually--" He was cut off when Yuusuke elbowed him in the gut. "Damnit, Urameshi! What the hell was that for?" Yuusuke just shook his head as he watched Kagome and Hiei walk into the forest.

Once they were out of hearing range of the others, Kagome slipped out of her yukata and drew her wakizashi. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

Hiei eyed the blade warily. '_**I doubt that you could actually hit me, but I still don't relish the idea of being purified.**_'

Kagome laughed. "Don't worry. The ofuda is blocking my ki, so I can't send my powers into the sword." She leveled her blade at him. "Come on, are you scared?" she taunted.

"Hardly." He drew his katana, and even though he slowed himself down to human speed, Hiei disarmed her in no less than three moves.

They continued to spar for the next half hour. Hiei didn't offer any verbal instruction, but Kagome was attuned to him enough to know when he was pointing out an opening with a simple glance, or correcting her form with a light nudge. Her sessions with Sango usually lasted an hour, but in only half that time with Hiei, she was thoroughly exhausted.

"Okay, I think I've had enough," Kagome said breathlessly after Hiei had disarmed her for the third time. She bent down to retrieve her wakizashi and her yukata and started to head back to camp, but stopped when she found Hiei blocking her way.

'_**You didn't bring me all the way out here just for a lesson,**_' Hiei said.

Kagome smiled sheepishly. "No, but we're so close to camp. What if someone sees us?"

"Let them," Hiei growled. He tackled Kagome to the forest floor, cushioning her fall with his arm. He wasted no time in covering her mouth with a searing kiss. Kagome ran her hands up his bare arms and under his shirt, digging her nails into the flesh of his shoulders when he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

She was writhing so deliciously beneath him that Hiei felt himself losing control. When she hooked her legs around his waist, he rocked his hips against her and was rewarded with a delighted mewl from the girl. As he distracted her with a trail of kisses along her throat, Hiei slid his hand up to the line of buttons that ran from the neckline of the catsuit and across the chest, ending under the right sleeve. Nimble fingers made quick work of the buttons, and soon Hiei was tugging at the fabric, pulling the top of the taijiya uniform down to her waist and effectively trapping her arms at her side.

Kagome was too far gone to care about modesty. She shivered when she felt the cool night breeze kiss her bare skin. Hiei trailed his tongue down to the center of her chest, stopping when he reached an unexpected obstacle of cloth. He growled at the minor setback and fiddled with the front clasp of the bra before giving up and simply pulling the straps down to Kagome's elbows. His gaze lingered appreciatively over her breasts for a moment before he dipped his head to lick a rigid nipple experimentally, glancing up at Kagome's face to see her reaction. When she closed her eyes and gasped, Hiei grinned wickedly and gently tugged on the nipple with his teeth, eliciting a low moan from the girl.

While he nipped at her breast, Hiei sought out the heat between her legs with his right hand, rubbing his thumb against her center, making her quiver for him. He had just made up his mind to rid her of the catsuit completely when the sound of hurried footsteps reached his ears.

Kagome didn't know what to think when Hiei suddenly rolled off of her and crouched between her and the path back to camp. She sat bolt upright and tried to cover her chest when she heard a rustling in the underbrush, but her arms were still trapped at her sides by the sleeves of her taijiya uniform. She was struggling to pull it up when Kurama stepped out from behind a tree.

"I apologize for the untimely interruption," Kurama said smoothly, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace to the fire apparition who looked to be about a split second away from beheading him, "but the camp is under attack. Someone had to see if you were as well." His eyes sparkled with amusement as he surveyed the scene: Hiei giving him a glare that promised a slow and painful death, while the half-naked miko tried in vain to preserve what was left of her modesty.

"Leave us. Now. We will return shortly," Hiei growled out between gritted teeth. Kurama shrugged and took one last look at Kagome before he disappeared back into the forest.

Hiei could sense the fading youki of whatever had attacked the camp. He picked up Kagome's discarded yukata and waited for her to pull the catsuit back up before he handed it to her. She tucked her wakizashi into her obi and didn't bother to wrap the yukata around her. Kagome took off at a sprint back to the camp with Hiei on her heels.

Kurabara was kicking the dead boar youkai's belly when Hiei and Kagome skidded to a stop in the middle of the clearing. All eyes turned to the miko, who was suspiciously disheveled and still blushing from the encounter with Kurama.

"Um...I guess you guys have everything under control," she said, stifling a nervous giggle.

Hiei glowered at Kurama. '_**You interrupted me for a mere boar?**_'

Kurama smirked. '_Turnabout is fair play, my friend._'

'_You're lucky it was us and not Kouga,_' Youko added.

'_**The wolf would be dead by now**_.' Kurama didn't doubt it for a second.

Thoroughly embarrassed, Kagome avoided the curious stares as she unrolled her sleeping bag. Miroku sidled up to her with a devious grin. "Did you enjoy your run?" he asked innocently.

Kagome frowned down at her sleeping bag. "I would have, if we hadn't been so rudely interrupted. At least I got a good half hour of sword practice."

Miroku chuckled. "Sword practice. That's a good one, Kagome." He winked at her before he noticed the threatening glare he was getting from Hiei. Miroku cleared his throat and retreated to a safe distance across the clearing before he laid down in his own sleeping bag.

* * *

It took the group two more days to reach the small town to the south where a human boy had been sighted. Yuusuke had insisted that everyone stick together after the boar incident, and while Hiei was more than willing to disobey his orders, Kagome wouldn't even consider it. She had no desire to let anyone else catch her in a state of undress again.

This time, Kouga and Hiei went into the town alone, leaving Sango and Kagome behind with the rest of the group. The girls had protested strongly, but Kouga held firm, insisting that he didn't want a repeat of what had happened in the last town.

Kagome and Sango blew off a bit of their frustration in hand-to-hand sparring while they waited for Hiei and Kouga to return. The guys sat in a semi-circle around them, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle of the two taijiya-clad women beating the shit out of each other.

"Kagome's improved since I last saw her fight," Yuusuke whispered to Kurama.

"I'll say," Kurama responded, wincing sympathetically when Kagome landed a rather hard sidekick to Sango's side. "She's letting the anger fuel her now. I can't wait to see how she fares in a real fight."

Yuusuke shook his head when Sango recovered quickly and punched Kagome in the kidney. "Looks like they're both a little upset about behind left behind."

Inuyasha stepped in between the girls. "All right, that's enough," he said before they did any real damage to each other. "Save some of that for the real enemy."

Kagome leaned around Inuyasha and gave Sango a sly grin. Sango nodded, and before Inuyasha could figure out what was going on, Kagome ducked down and rammed her shoulder into the hanyou's side, knocking him to the ground. Inuyasha yelped in surprise, and Sango took advantage of his momentary distraction to roll him onto his stomach, sitting astride his back and pinning his arms behind him.

"Give up yet?" Sango asked.

"Like hell!" Inuyasha twisted to the side and threw Sango off of him, only to have Kagome knock his legs out from under him before he could stand. In seconds, the whole scene degenerated into the three of them wrestling on the ground. Inuyasha had to be careful of his claws and rein in his strength, so the girls had the upper hand. The clearing was filled with the sounds of catcalls and laughter from their bemused spectators. When Kagome started pulling on Inuyasha's ears, that was the last straw for him. He leaped up into a tree and scowled down at Sango and Kagome, grumbling something about 'girls who fight dirty' under his breath.

"Aw, you're no fun," Kagome complained, sticking her tongue out at the hanyou.

Sango hefted Hiraikotsu onto her shoulder. "Come on, Kagome, let's do some target practice." Kagome retrieved her bow and arrows and followed Sango to the edge of the clearing. She put what was left of her anger into the arrows, firing them rapidly at the surrounding trees. Sango chose to level the trees at the opposite side of the clearing, launching and re-launching Hiraikotsu as quickly as it came back to her.

"Well, I guess we don't have to go far for firewood tonight," Kurabara observed.

"Yeah," said Inuyasha with a shudder. "You should see her when she's really pissed."

Once Kagome and Sango had completely exhausted themselves, they settled down to a meal of steaming hot ramen that Miroku had prepared. Kagome was jabbing at Yuusuke's hand with her chopsticks, insisting that he leave enough ramen for Hiei and Kouga, when the two youkai arrived back at the camp. Yuusuke promptly forgot all about the food.

"Hey, did you guys find anything?" he asked.

Kouga shook his head. "The locals are a tight-lipped bunch around here. They wouldn't talk to us, but Hiei heard a few things being whispered in the back of the tavern."

"A youkai of unknown origin brought a human boy into town three days ago. I did not hear what his purpose was there, but one of the youkai mentioned that the two headed east after they left town," said Hiei.

"Three days?" asked Yuusuke. "That gives them a pretty good head start on us."

"They said that the human boy had a crippled right leg," said Hiei. Sango and Kagome exchanged worried glances.

Yuusuke tapped his chin and frowned. "Well, that means they won't be moving too fast. If we keep up a good pace, we might just catch up with them." He turned to Kouga. "How far is the nearest town to the east?"

"From here, it's about two days on foot, one and a half if we're lucky," Kouga responded.

"We can take turns riding on Kirara," Sango offered. "She can carry two at a time. That will help a little bit."

"Ride...Kirara?" Kurabara asked. Sango grinned and set the firecat on the ground.

"Okay, Kirara, show them." In a sudden burst of orange flames, Kirara transformed into her giant sabre-toothed form. She turned her huge red eyes on Kurabara, who slowly backed away from her. Kirara snorted - a sound that was suspiciously similar to a chuckle - and turned back into her smaller form.

"She can fly, too, you know," said Kagome, amusement coloring her voice.

"Right," Yuusuke drawled out. "Sounds good to me. Everybody get some sleep. We'll wake early and leave at first light."

As Kagome slipped into her sleeping bag, she could see Hiei's red eyes glowing down at her from the branches of a nearby tree.

'_**You reek of the dog,**_' he observed.

Kagome giggled. '_He got in between Sango and me while we were sparring. It wasn't the best decision he's ever made._'

'_**You are bruised,**_' Hiei said disapprovingly. She had taken off her taijiya uniform and wore only the yukata to sleep in. He could see a few bruises coloring her arms and legs.

'_Yeah, Sango and I kind of got out of hand,_' she admitted sheepishly. '_We weren't too happy about being left behind._'

'_**Ch. You didn't miss anything**_.'

Kagome yawned. '_I'd better get to sleep. Good night, Hiei._'

Hiei didn't reply. He was too busy plotting out exactly how he was going to get the miko alone, and this time, there would be no interruptions.

* * *

The group made better time than Kouga had expected. The humans took turns riding on Kirara, while Inuyasha, Hiei, and Kurama ran along the path below. The sun was setting just as they passed the last bend in the road before the next town.

"Same plan as last time," Kouga said, looking pointedly at Kagome and Sango. "Hiei and I will go into town, and the rest of you set up camp and wait for us to return."

The girls weren't any happier with that than they had been the night before, but they didn't put up much of an argument this time. The day's journey had left them too exhausted.

Hiei and Kouga walked silently down the road toward town. As they neared the first buildings, a lone figure stepped out from the shadows.

"Rumor has it a wolf is searching for human blood," the youkai hissed.

"Yeah, so what's it to you?" Kouga asked.

The youkai chuckled and bowed. "I am Hiroshi. If you will follow me, I can take you to the boy." Without waiting for an answer, Hiroshi slunk back into the shadows and headed for the far end of town.

"Should we follow him?" asked Kouga.

Hiei's eyes narrowed. "He is deceiving us. He hopes to lead us into a trap."

Kouga shrugged. "Well, I'm up for some exercise. You with me?"

Hiei didn't answer, but he followed Kouga in the direction that Hiroshi had gone.

* * *

After an hour and a half of waiting for Hiei and Kouga to return, Kagome was starting to get antsy. She motioned to Sango to join her at the edge of camp.

"Something's wrong. They should be back by now," Kagome whispered.

Sango frowned. "You're right. They've been gone far too long. Either they're in trouble, or they've found something."

"Do you think we should go after them?" Kagome asked.

"I'm fairly certain they can take care of themselves," said Sango. "You don't think they'd hurt Kohaku if he attacked them, do you?"

"No," Kagome said firmly. "But if a fight did break out, it would draw a lot of attention from the local youkai."

Sango stood up quickly. "That's it, we're going after them."

"Wait!" Kagome hissed, pulling Sango back down. "Do you want the guys to find out? They'll follow us, and if everything really is all right, it won't be once a bunch of people with human blood show up in the middle of town."

"You're right," Sango said grimly. "We'll wait until they're distracted."

It didn't take long. The guys were sitting around the campfire, chatting over a pot of ramen. Kurama turned his back for a moment, and Inuyasha reached over to replenish his empty bowl with what was left in Kurama's. He froze when he felt something snaking its way up his leg...

...and the rest of the guys jumped back when the ground suddenly erupted with vines, twisting and winding their way around Inuyasha until he was held immobile a meter off of the ground. Inuyasha took one look at Kurama's face and immediately knew who was to blame for his predicament.

"You fucking bastard! What the hell is this?"

Kurama looked mildly amused. "You didn't think I had forgotten about your little ploy back in Reikai, did you?"

Inuyasha twisted, trying to cut the vine with his claws, and after a few unsuccessful attempts, he finally freed himself. "You're gonna pay for that, asshole!" The ensuing scuffle kept the guys entertained for the next fifteen minutes, until Kurabara looked around and tugged on Yuusuke's sleeve.

"Hey, Urameshi."

"Hm? Shut up, I'm watching them fight!"

"Uh, this is kind of important," Kurabara said.

"Fine! What is it?" Yuusuke asked, finally turning away from Inuyasha and Kurama.

"Does anyone know where the girls went?"

The fight immediately came to a halt, and everyone was quiet for a moment until Inuyasha's shout broke the silence.

"Oh, fuck!"

_Edited 17 May 2005_


	14. Release

**Paradox**  


by Somnambulicious

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer**:  
I don't own either  
_Inuyasha_ or _YuuYuu_;  
Somebody else does.

**Note:** This chapter has been edited for adult content. The full version is available at Mediaminer and Adultfanfiction.

* * *

**Chapter 14**:** Release**

"Why weren't you keeping an eye on them?" Inuyasha shouted at Yuusuke.

"Me? You're the one who said Kagome was big enough to make her own decisions!"

"Obviously I was wrong! What the hell happened to them?" Inuyasha asked no on in particular.

Kurama, who had been kneeling at the spot where he'd last seen Kagome and Sango, stood and turned to Inuyasha. "I'm not picking up any strange scents. From the look of it, they left of their own accord."

"Dammit!" Inuyasha swore. "What the fuck where they thinking?"

"They were probably worried about Hiei and Kouga. They have been gone for a while now," Kurabara pointed out.

"So what? Those two are going to go _rescue_ them?" Yuusuke asked incredulously.

"They were probably worried that something had happened with the human boy we're tracking," said Miroku.

"I'm going after them," said Inuyasha. Yuusuke grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"We're not going anywhere," he said firmly. "They took Kirara with them. I'm sure they'll meet up with Hiei and Kouga in town. If we follow after them, we'll only attract attention and put them in more danger."

"So we're just supposed to wait for them?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes," said Yuusuke. "We'll wait until Hiei and Kouga come back. If the girls aren't with them, then we'll know something's wrong."

"Something's wrong with who?" Everyone turned to look at Kouga, who was standing next to Hiei at the edge of camp. Kouga had a large, cloth-wrapped bundle slung over his shoulder.

"Where are Kagome and Sango?" Inuyasha asked.

Kouga frowned. "We left them here with you, mutt-face."

"You mean they didn't find you in the village?" Miroku asked.

"No," said Kouga, gently setting the bundle on the ground. "We weren't in the tavern. Fucking snake youkai knew Hiei was with Reikai and thought he could ambush us at the far end of town. It took us an hour to 'persuade' him to tell us where the human boy was."

"Is it Kohaku?" asked Kurabara.

Miroku knelt down and examined the unconscious boy. "No, I'm afraid it's not. But he's going to need a healer, and soon."

"Bastard was traveling from town to town, selling the kid's blood. It's a wonder he's still alive," said Kouga.

"I'll contact Botan and send the kid to Ningenkai to recover," said Yuusuke, pulling a communicator out of his pocket.

"What the hell are we all standing around for?" yelled Inuyasha. "In case you've all forgotten, Kagome and Sango are in a town full of youkai!"

"Shit," said Kouga. "Hiei and I will go after them."

* * *

The clamor in the tavern died down the moment two females walked in the front door. Sango and Kagome could see eight or nine youkai seated at the bar, in addition to the bartender. Hiei and Kouga were nowhere in sight.

The bartender quickly overcame his shock at seeing females in his establishment and grinned widely. "Can I help you ladies with something?"

"We are seeking our companions, a wolf and a fire apparition," said Kagome as she watched the bar's disreputable-looking patrons warily. "Have they been here tonight?"

The girls immediately regretted walking so far into the room when a couple of the youkai circled around behind them. The bartender shook his head.

"No strangers here tonight," he said.

"It's a shame that they left such beautiful ladies all alone and defenseless," said one of the patrons as he stalked up to them. Sango and Kagome both slid their hands under their clothing to the hilt of their swords.

"We must be on our way," said Sango. "I'm sure our companions are--" She turned toward the door, but found two youkai blocking her way.

"Won't you stay for a bit and enjoy our hospitality?" asked one, a hulking beast with orange hair and blue skin. "Barkeep has a special vintage tonight."

"That's right," said another. "It's not everyday you get a chance to drink human blood."

Sango and Kagome immediately stopped in their tracks. "Human blood?" Kagome asked, her eyes narrowing. "Male or female?"

"Male, but it was young." One of the youkai held a cup of dark, viscous liquid out to her. "Come on, our treat!"

At that moment, something inside Kagome snapped. In the blink of an eye, she drew her sword, and before the youkai could react, she buried the blade to the hilt in his chest. He looked down in shock before the cup dropped to the floor. Kagome stood frozen in shock at her own actions for a split second, until the youkai slid off the blade of her katana and slumped to the floor, dead.

"Fucking shit!" the blue-skinned youkai shouted. Sango drew her wakizashi and stood back to back with Kagome, while Kirara jumped to the floor and transformed in a flash of flame.

"Got a plan?" Kagome asked as the remaining youkai in the tavern circled around them.

"Nope. Just kill the lot of them."

Kagome grinned in an effort to hide her nervousness. "If you say so."

One of the youkai lunged forward with his katana, but Kirara easily batted him away with her tails. Kagome ducked just in time to dodge a swipe of claws and lashed out with her sword, but the youkai blocked with the sai in his other hand. A flash of steel to the right caught her attention, and Kagome flung the weight of her body behind her wakizashi, sending the sai-wielding youkai crashing into the blade of her second attacker. Unfortunately, the distraction left her wide open to a hard, straight punch to the face, courtesy of the bartender.

The girls quickly became separated as they were attacked by multiple opponents. Sango and Kagome held their own, but the youkai had the advantage of numbers. Kirara was doing the most damage, quickly eviscerating two of the attackers with a single swipe of her claws and an enraged yowl. One of the youkai who was lurking toward the back of the room decided to put a stop to that. He stepped forward and raised his hands, and Sango shouted in alarm.

"Kirara, watch out! He's--" Her warning came too late as the amphibious youkai shot a stream of poison out at the firecat, dousing her flames and reversing her transformation.

With Kirara out of the way, the youkai attacked with renewed vigor. Sango ducked around a feathered bird youkai and punched him in the neck. The youkai screamed as he felt the sting of the blade once concealed in her sleeve. She whirled on another attacker, blocking the knife aimed at her chest and following through with a sharp knee to the groin.

Two of the youkai had Kagome cornered with her back against the bar. She jumped up onto the table to avoid what would have been a painful sidekick, and managed to nick the youkai's shoulder with her wakizashi. The second youkai grabbed a large bottle and smashed it over a chair. Kagome was distracted by a poorly aimed throwing knife, so she was caught by surprise when the youkai jammed the broken glass into her thigh.

At the sight of her own blood, the last of Kagome's self-control shattered. She kicked out at the youkai's head viciously, knocking him to the floor. Heedless of the danger from the other attackers, she jumped down to the floor and dropped to her knees, beating the dazed youkai to a bloody pulp with her bare fists.

"Kagome, snap out of it!" Sango shouted as she blocked a katana aimed at her friend's back. Kagome was too far gone to hear her, too caught up in the thrill that each punch to the youkai's face sent down her spine. He was slumped against a chair, unresponsive, but Kagome continued to pummel him, reveling in the sensation of her fists striking the pulpy mass that used to be his face. Something in the back of her mind whispered that this was all wrong, but Kagome was in no mood to listen. It was an odd turn of luck that the pub was already filled with the scent of the human boy's blood, drowning out the smell of Kagome's.

Sango was left to take on the four remaining youkai by herself. They would normally have been no match for the taijiya, but exhaustion from the day's journey was taking its toll on Sango. She raised her wakizashi to block a katana, and could only stare in horror as the blue-skinned youkai spun to kick her in the head...

...and howled as a streak of shining steel severed his leg at the hip. Sango looked up in a daze to see Hiei and Kouga. "Oh, thank the gods," she said.

"What the hell happened to Kagome?" Kouga asked as he blocked a punch. He glanced back and was alarmed to see a tiny tendril of smoke rising from the back of the miko's neck. The youkai who was attacking Kouga suddenly stopped and sniffed the air suspiciously.

"Ah, shit! She's burning through the ofuda! Hiei, get her the hell out of here _now_!"

Hiei didn't think twice before he heaved Kagome up over his shoulder. She barely had the presence of mind to latch onto her sword before Hiei sped out of the tavern, leaving Kouga and Sango to handle the remaining youkai for themselves.

Now that the odds were evened up a bit and Kagome was out of danger, Sango quickly dispatched two of her opponents, disemboweling the first with a slice from the groin to the chest and severing the bird youkai's head from his neck. Kouga took out the remaining youkai with a well-aimed kick that shattered his spine.

"We'd better get out of here," Sango said as she scooped up Kirara from the tavern floor. Kouga lunged toward the door, but stopped in his tracks and sniffed. He bent down and picked up a broken bottle from the floor.

"Kagome's blood," he said with a frown. "This isn't good."

"What do you mean? It was just a flesh wound," said Sango.

Kouga lifted the bottle to his nose and inhaled deeply. "Youkai liqueur. It's drugged. There's no telling what effect this will have on Kagome."

Sango shook her head. "I think we just saw the effect," she said, recalling Kagome's sudden bloodlust. She hoped the worst of it was over.

* * *

Hiei ignored Kagome's demands to put her down and let her finish what she'd started, until she began trying to twist out of his grip.

'_**Calm yourself,**_' he said. '_**You are not in your right mind.**_'

Her wordless snarl in reply disturbed him. He had to find her an outlet for the rage before it consumed her, and quite possibly purified him. Her scent was growing stronger as she continued to burn through the ofuda. Hiei could feel the Jagan lapping at the edge of her mind, eagerly seeking out the increasing level of ki. _Damnit. Now is not the time._

He ran down a forest path in the opposite direction of the camp, skidding to a stop when he finally sensed what he had been looking for. He hastily dropped Kagome on the ground, leaping back as she snapped at him. '_**Whoa.**_'

"Who the hell do you think you are, dragging me out of--"

'_**Wait.**_' Kagome stopped at the commanding tone in his voice. Suddenly, she felt the ground beneath her feet begin to shake, and she jumped to the side when a gargantuan centipede youkai burst up through the forest floor, and she understood.

_Finally._ The devilish smile that spread across Kagome's face would have sent any sentient being fleeing for his life, but the centipede was too simple-minded to grasp the threat that she presented. She quickly slipped out of her yukata and leveled her sword at the youkai.

Hiei watched with growing pride as Kagome lashed out viciously at the centipede. She had burned the ofuda off of her skin completely, but she wasn't sending her powers into the wakizashi. No, she was taking her time with the kill, alternately stabbing and slicing but carefully avoiding all the major organs.

But after ten minutes in which Kagome completely disabled and blinded the centipede, Hiei was actually starting to pity the poor beast.

'_**Finish it**_.'

Kagome chose to ignore him, and instead walked casually down the length of the youkai, jabbing her sword in between the exoskeletal plates as she went. Hiei frowned. Taking pleasure in killing was one thing, but Kagome was enjoying the centipede's pain far too much. It wasn't like her.

Deciding that the torture had gone on long enough, Hiei stepped up to the youkai and stabbed it between the eyes with his katana, burying the blade up to the hilt and finally ending its misery. Sensing that her prey had been killed, Kagome whirled on Hiei, her eyes blazing in anger.

"You dare to take what is rightfully--"

Hiei growled and grabbed her by the waist. His only intention was to shut her up, but somehow the kiss turned into something more. Kagome dropped her wakizashi and wrapped her arms around him, hungrily delving her tongue into his mouth.

Kagome felt the blinding rage completely dissipate, only to be replaced by another primal need. She could feel her heart pounding impossibly fast in her chest, a moist heat pooling between her legs. As she tilted her head to the side, deepening the kiss even more, a tiny voice in the back of Kagome's mind again whispered that something was wrong. It took all of her willpower to wrench herself away from Hiei.

"Hiei...what's wrong with me?" Her whisper was plaintive, desperate. Hiei was alarmed to see that her pupils were dilated, very nearly drowning out the crimson irises completely.

'_**You've been drugged,**_' he replied. Hiei couldn't quite squash the feeling of disappointment that arose when he realized that her need for him was fueled by outside forces.

"Please, I need...If I don't...I feel like I'm burning up." Kagome couldn't find the words to express what she was feeling, the intense drive that drowned out every coherent thought and turned her world upside down.

Hiei, on the other hand, knew exactly what she needed, and while his instincts were screaming at him to take her then and there, to give her what she was begging for, his conscience wouldn't allow him to take advantage of her in this state.

But he couldn't just leave her like this. He pulled her against him again and forced her legs apart with his knee. Kagome instinctively rubbed herself against his leg, shuddering when the electric tingle at her center flared into a full-out burn. She moaned, digging her nails into the flesh of his back. The burn became more intense as she pressed harder, condensing into a single point, but the release she sought so desperately would not come.

At Kagome's frustrated cry, Hiei closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

_Earlier, back at the camp_...

Miroku had finally had enough. "Inuyasha, if you don't stop that pacing, I'm going to see to it that we 'lose' the rest of the ramen."

"Keh!" Inuyasha jumped to the highest tree branch he could find and proceeded to glare at each of the figures below in turn.

Miroku leaned back against a boulder. "I'm just as worried about Sango and Kagome as you are, Inuyasha, but your nervousness is driving the rest of us crazy. We just have to wait for Kouga and Hiei to come back with them."

"Yeah, I'm sure Hiei and that wolf guy will save the girls," added Kurabara.

"I do have a name, you know." Inuyasha dropped to the ground at the sound of Kouga's voice.

"Where's Kagome?" He sniffed the air and growled. "And why do I smell her blood?"

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking," said Sango, who was cradling a strained left wrist.

"Hiei took Kagome away from the fight," said Kouga. "They haven't come back?"

"Idiot," grumbled Inuyasha. "Why else would I ask?"

Kouga ignored him and tossed a broken bottle to Kurama. "What was in the bottle?" Kouga asked.

Kurama lifted the bottle to his nose and sniffed, frowning at the pungent aroma. "It's a tincture of about half a dozen Makai herbal extracts in alcohol. Kagome was injured with this?"

Sango nodded. "One of the youkai in the tavern stabbed her in the leg with it."

"And what kind of an effect would it have on a human?" asked Kouga.

"The resulting liqueur is a potent neurostimulant, initiating increased levels of dopamine and the release of adrenaline. Tell me, was Kagome acting unusually aggressive?"

Kouga snorted. "That's an understatement. The youkai she was wailing on was dead before we got there. She was burning through the ofuda, too. That's why I had Hiei get her out of there."

"Then where did they go?" asked Yuusuke. "If Kagome's burned through the ofuda, she could be in trouble."

"I'm certain Hiei will allow no harm to come to her," said Kurama. "Perhaps he took her somewhere so she could work off that extra aggression."

"Fuck that," said Inuyasha. "I'm going after her." Before anyone could protest, the hanyou was gone.

Yuusuke shook his head. "The rest of us will wait here for them to return. It's bad enough that we're split up this much already."

* * *

Hiei shifted the sleeping girl in his arms and frowned. The wound on her leg needed treatment soon. The bleeding had stopped, but it still needed to be cleaned and bandaged. Dawn's light was starting to illuminate the forest; he could only guess at how long they'd been away from camp. The others were probably searching for them.

He couldn't allow Kagome to be seen in her current state of dress. The catsuit was still pulled down around her waist, and whatever she'd been stabbed with had shredded the material on her left thigh, as well as the yukata. Both would need to be repaired and washed to clean out the smell of human blood. For that matter, the girl needed a bath as well before the ofuda could be reapplied to mask her human scent and ki.

Shifting Kagome so that she laid over his shoulder, Hiei stood and walked over to the discarded yukata and the wakizashi. He carefully wrapped the cloth around the sword, wincing when he accidentally touched the blade and was punished with an angry blue spark. He took to the trees and headed back to the camp.

Hiei stopped while he was still out of view of the camp and gently laid Kagome's sleeping form in one of the branches. When he was satisfied that she was comfortable, he contacted Kurama.

'_**Fox**_.'

Kurama awoke from a light doze when he heard Hiei's voice. '_Hiei? Where are you? Is Kagome all right?_'

'_**The girl is fine. Retrieve my robe. Bring Kagome's pack and one of the monk's ofuda as well. Follow the path east and leave them under the large maple tree**_.'

'_Hiei? You didn't_-'

'_**Just bring the items I requested. I don't have time for this**_.'

Kouga raised an eyebrow as Kurama rifled through Miroku's backpack, but thankfully, everyone else was asleep. He found the ofuda in Miroku's pack, and threw Kagome's pack over his shoulder. Just when he was ready to head down the path to where Hiei was waiting, Sango called out to him.

"Kurama?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. "Is Kagome back yet?" She gently laid a sleeping Kirara on the ground next to her and stood up.

"I believe she and Hiei are just east of here, down the path. Hiei contacted me and asked that I bring his clothes, Kagome's pack, and one of the ofuda."

"I'll take them," said Sango, yanking said items from Kurama's hands. "Where are they?"

"Hiei wanted me to leave them at a large maple tree on the path. I really don't mind--"

"I don't care," snapped Sango. She turned on her heel and walked into the forest. She didn't care _how_ close Kagome and this youkai were; Sango wasn't about to leave her injured friend alone in his company any longer.

When she reached the large maple tree, Sango stopped and waited. After a minute passed and Kagome failed to appear, Sango's impatience finally won out.

"Kagome!" she yelled. "I've got your stuff here!"

Without warning, Hiei dropped from the tree and landed right in front of Sango. He narrowed his eyes at her. "The fox was supposed to leave the items I requested here."

"Where's Kagome?" Sango asked, ignoring the youkai's angry glare.

"She is sleeping. Leave the things here, and I will take care of her."

"Absolutely not," said Sango, clutching the bundle to her chest. "I want to see Kagome. I'll help her bathe."

Hiei increased the intensity of his glare, but the taijiya didn't budge. After a few moments, it became apparent that he would either have to give in to her demand or fight her. And while he knew that he could beat the woman to a pulp, he doubted that Kagome would appreciate it.

"Very well," he finally said. Hiei leapt back up into the tree and tossed the cloth-wrapped sword to the ground. Seconds later, he followed with Kagome in his arms. At the sight of her half-naked friend, Sango's hand immediately flew to the hilt of her sword.

"What did you do to her?" Sango demanded. "If you took advantage of her--"

"You greatly underestimate the girl's powers if you think that such a thing would be possible. Are you finally acknowledging your own pathetic incompetence in training her? Perhaps I should relieve you of your role as the girl's sensei."

"Of course not!" Sango shouted. "But she's unconscious! It doesn't take a genius to see that you--"

"Woman, you will cease the insults immediately. The miko has been drugged and just spent a great deal of time slaughtering a centipede. She is merely exhausted."

Sango's hand reflexively tightened around the grip of her sword. "You mean to tell me she fought half-clothed?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Without further explanation, Hiei turned his back and began to walk in the direction of the nearest stream. "Come. If you wish to help bathe the girl, follow me. I don't have time for pointless accusations." Sango let out a growl that betrayed just how many years she'd spent in the company of an inu-hanyou, but she picked up Kagome's sword and followed him anyway.

Hiei stopped when he reached the stream and gently laid Kagome down on the sandy bank. Without waiting for the taijiya to arrive, he proceeded to pull the girl's remaining clothing off of her.

"What on earth are you doing?" Sango's indignant screech almost made Hiei cringe. Almost.

"She is injured and covered in the scent of her own blood. Do you propose that we leave her like this?"

"Of course not, but you're not going to bathe her! You go back to camp, and I'll take care of her," Sango said, shooing the youkai away from her unconscious friend.

Hiei stepped back and scowled at her, but he wouldn't leave. Instead, he folded his arms over his chest and stood watch while the taijiya carefully undressed Kagome and washed away the blood.

Sango ignored the petulant fire apparition behind her and instead concentrated on tending to Kagome. She was relieved to see that the circular gash on Kagome's thigh was her only real wound, other than the dark bruising that was blooming around her left eye. The wound was already scabbed over, and Sango was careful not to reopen the scab while she cleaned it. Once Kagome was as clean as Sango could manage without submerging the sleeping girl, Sango laid Hiei's robe out on the ground next to Kagome and rolled her friend onto it, wrapping the folds of fabric around her.

"You forgot the ofuda," Hiei observed.

"I was just getting to that, you jerk," Sango snapped back. She gently lifted Kagome's head off of the ground and pressed the ofuda to the back of her neck.

"It's not working," said Hiei. He could still pick up Kagome's scent.

Sango sighed. "I guess Miroku's going to have to do it," she said. "You take her back to camp. I'll wash the blood out of her clothes." Hiei bristled at being ordered around by the human woman, but he silently hefted Kagome into his arms and walked back down the path to camp. Halfway there, Inuyasha dropped from the trees and landed in a crouch in front of Hiei.

"Where the hell have you--" Inuyasha choked on his words when Kagome's scent hit him full force. It wasn't her normal scent; it was..._that_, and the smell of _that_ seemed to be coming from Hiei, and not the freshly bathed girl in his arms. Inuyasha sputtered for a few seconds before he managed to draw Tessaiga and point the fully transformed fang at the fire apparition's head.

"What the _fuck_ do you think this is?" he snarled. "You can't just take her when she's drugged and expect to get away with it!"

Hiei leapt back. This was the second time he'd been accused of taking advantage of Kagome's drugged state. He could feel the rage coming to a boil. If the hanyou didn't back off soon, Hiei would not hold himself accountable for his actions.

"You fool," Hiei spat. "Can you not see that you're putting the girl in danger?"

Inuyasha's eyes drifted to Kagome, still lying unconscious in Hiei's arms. "You're a coward, hiding behind her after taking advantage of her like that!"

"I have done no such thing, and if I have to put her down to teach you a lesson, you'll continue to put her in danger. Can you not tell that she no longer has the protection of the ofuda?"

Inuyasha had to admit that he had a point there. He sheathed the Tessaiga and stood aside. "I'm not through with you yet," he said as the fire apparition passed by. "You and I are going to have a little _talk_ once we get back to camp." Hiei ignored the hanyou's continued grumbling as he walked the rest of the way back to the camp.

Everyone was wide awake by the time Hiei and Inuyasha arrived. "What the hell have you done to my woman?" Kouga shouted, pointing accusingly at Hiei.

"Houshi, you will reapply the ofuda for her," Hiei said as he set Kagome down near Miroku, pointedly ignoring the wolf.

"Of course," said Miroku. He rolled Kagome to the side and peeled the ofuda off of her neck before reapplying it. This time, the spell worked correctly.

"What happened after you left the tavern?" asked Yuusuke. "Why didn't you bring her back here?"

"She needed to work off the bloodlust induced by whatever drug was in her system. A centipede youkai donated his life for the cause," Hiei said by way of explanation.

Inuyasha wasn't satisfied with his answer. "Then why do you smell like--"

"If you know what's good for you, you will cease this line of questioning. I doubt that the girl would appreciate you prying into her personal affairs. If she wishes to answer you, she will do so when she awakens." Hiei disregarded the angry flare of youki coming from the wolf and the hanyou, and instead settled down cross-legged next to Kagome.

The rest of the group -- Kagome's friends, in particular -- continued to send worried glances in her direction throughout the day, but they largely left her in peace due to the brooding fire apparition at her side. Kurabara, Yuusuke, Inuyasha, and Miroku took the opportunity to catch up on some training, while Kurama scoured the forest for rare plants to add to his collection.

Sango sat quietly at the edge of camp, meticulously mending her friend's torn clothing while Kirara slept off the effects of the poison nearby. She had to shorten the sleeves of the yukata in order to make patches with the extra cloth, and then hem the sleeves before repairing the ripped fabric. Sango focused singlemindedly on her self-appointed task; she would not allow herself to sit and fret idly over her friend's condition and the questionable trustworthiness of the youkai who was watching over her. As the hours passed, Sango worked with measured deliberation, carefully drawing out each tiny, perfect stitch as long as possible.

Of course, Sango couldn't ignore the problem altogether. She had to admit -- if only to herself -- that Hiei's stubborn vigilance was a point in his favor. He didn't move a muscle for almost the entire day, stirring himself only to growl softly in warning whenever someone came too close for his taste. If he had done something untoward to Kagome, surely he wouldn't stick around to bear the brunt of her wrath when she awoke...not to mention the wrath of Kagome's other self-appointed "protectors."

After a light lunch, most of the group settled down for a much-needed nap. Kurama, however, ignored Hiei's pointed glares and sat down next to the fire apparition. "Kagome's been asleep for a long time," he observed. "Perhaps something is wrong with her."

"It is a natural sleep," said Hiei. "She exhausted herself."

"Now that you mention it, you did have a rather interesting scent about you upon your return this morning," Kurama said, ignoring Youko's insistence that he approach the subject more directly. When Hiei didn't reply, Kurama sighed and reached over to grip his friend's shoulder. "I know what kind of an effect the tincture probably had on her. You can hardly be blamed in the face of such temptation."

Hiei twisted away from Kurama's hand. "Do not speak of that which you know nothing about. You should know by now that I am more than capable of controlling myself."

Kurama's expression betrayed his surprise. "You mean you didn't--"

"No."

"And she was--"

"Yes."

"Gods, Hiei," Kurama said in an awed whisper, "you actually care for her."

"That's absurd," snapped Hiei.

Kurama shook his head as he suppressed a grin at his friend's expense. "You can deny it all you want, but we both know that it's true. All this time, I thought you were acting out of instinct, what with the possessiveness, and the growling, and the irritability, and the physical proximity, and the clothing thing." Kurama ticked the offending symptoms off on his fingers until he was practically choking on the waves of rage flowing off of Hiei. "But to have such an opportunity present itself and then turn away... That must rail against every instinct you were born with."

"You are reading far too much into my actions, fox. I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted at the amount of thought you seem to have put into this."

Kurama remained unperturbed. "Like I said, you can deny it to _me_ all you want, but you had best be completely open with the girl if you're serious about this, because she won't be satisfied with anything less. One such as her needs the constant reassurance and comfort that only an honest lover can offer. If you cannot fulfill that role, then rest assured that someone else will."

"And I suppose you think yourself to be the perfect candidate," Hiei said bitterly.

"I don't think I could offer her that," Kurama said. "Perhaps, in time. But I am certain that someone else would step up to the plate long before that would happen." He smiled as Kagome rolled over and threw an arm over Hiei's legs, clutching at the fabric before she settled into a deeper sleep. "You see how she cannot stand to be alone. If she was desperate enough, she might even turn to the wolf." Kurama carefully avoided looking directly at Hiei, instead brushing an imaginary speck of dust off of his pants, waiting to see if the fire apparition would rise to the bait. He was not disappointed.

"I would kill him myself before that could happen. She deserves--" Hiei cut himself off before he revealed too much about what he thought of Kagome, but Kurama was nothing if not perceptive.

"Indeed. She does deserve better than being the fourth mate of a wolf in Makai. Who knows? Perhaps there is a human boy out there who could--"

"No human could possibly compre-- Damn you, Kurama! This ridiculous discussion is over!" Hiei turned his back to the kitsune, but Kurama couldn't resist having the last word.

"Think about it carefully, Hiei. She is far too precious a gem to let slip through your fingers. If you have any intention at all of having a lasting relationship with Kagome, you must let her know how you feel." Satisfied that he'd given Hiei enough food for thought, Kurama retreated to the opposite end of camp and laid down for a nap.

Hiei clenched his fists as he stared down at the girl curled up so peacefully next to him. He'd never asked for this, never even dreamed that it was possible. But now he was stuck with a dilemma that refused to be ignored. As much as he'd like to tell himself that Kagome's appeal to him was purely physical, he knew without a doubt that she called out to him on a completely different level.

Kagome calmed the opposing forces within him in a way that he'd never experienced before. He was beginning to dread the inevitable closure of this mission, knowing that no matter what the outcome was, he would no longer have an excuse to remain with her. What then? Could he go back to the way he'd lived his life before Kagome without regret? The fact that he couldn't honestly give a positive answer to that question bothered Hiei to no end.

_I am Hiei. I need no one_.

And yet...

The question remained: did he _want_ her? Kagome had accepted him as he was, without pressuring him to change to suit her. Not even Kurama had let his defenses down so readily. And strangely enough, the more Hiei let Kagome know about himself and his past, the more she seemed to like him. He had serious doubts as to whether he'd ever come across another woman who would do that.

Did he deserve her? Perhaps that was the most important question. Hiei hated to ask that of himself; it was something he'd never before taken into consideration, whether he "deserved" something that he might want. But the fox was right. Kagome was something special, someone entirely unique, able to bridge the gap between youkai and humans without effort or second thought. She was a miko, taijiya-trained, and yet she had confided in him that she couldn't find a moralistic ground for distinguishing between the two races. How had such a being come to exist?

The fact that Kagome was a creature of such purity was, no doubt, part of her appeal. In that respect, and many others, they were nothing alike. She was a ray of light to those around her, inspiring her friends to bring out the best in themselves. And she needed those friends in a way that Hiei could scarcely comprehend. He was aloof where she was affectionate, dark where she was light, tainted where she was pure, youkai where she was human.

_We are complete opposites. We have no business being together_.

And yet...

Hiei felt a mystifying sort of kinship with this odd young miko. She had an unwavering loyalty to her friends and allies that he both understood and respected. Her determination to protect her brother was something he could identify with, as well as the righteous indignation, the overwhelming drive for vengeance. Then there was the fact that she was a creature caught between worlds, belonging neither in the wildness of the past nor the civilization of the present. Isolation was a feeling he knew all too well.

All things considered, perhaps there were only two things really holding him back. One of those was the Jagan's disturbing interest in Kagome. He still couldn't decipher the implant's puzzling curiosity about her, and he didn't trust its motives.

The other problem was equally troubling: what exactly did Kagome want of him? Hiei had been rejected repeatedly and thoroughly so many times in the past that the very notion of acceptance was foreign to him. And yet, he found himself wondering whether he could handle being rejected by Kagome.

True enough, she hadn't been horrified by the Jagan, hadn't recoiled at what he'd shown her of his past. The fact that she'd shared herself physically with him, even just a little bit, hinted that there was something more to her desires. After all, she wasn't the type of girl to go around flinging herself at every willing male. He knew for a fact that she was inexperienced. But at this point, he still couldn't be sure that she wanted something more from him.

A hint of softness passed across Hiei's eyes as he studied the slumbering miko, curling a stray lock of her hair around his finger. He felt some of the tension bleed out of him as he admitted to himself that, yes, he did want her companionship in a way that he'd never before considered with another living being. Whether she returned the sentiment remained to be seen, but Hiei was determined to find out.

* * *

The first thing that Kagome's sleep-fogged mind registered as she regained consciousness was the soreness. _Oh, gods, I'm sore in places I didn't even know I had muscles._ She groaned and slowly opened her eyes. It took a moment for her to recognize the crimson eyes that stared back at her.

"Hiei? What happened?" '_We were at the tavern, and then--_'

Kagome sat bolt upright when she suddenly remembered, and immediately regretted the hasty action when every muscle in her body screamed out in protest. She bit her lower lip to keep from crying out, glaring at Hiei when he chuckled.

'_**I'm insulted that you didn't find my performance more memorable,**_' said Hiei.

Kagome blushed and looked away. She was saved from having to reply to that comment when Kurabara noticed that she was sitting up.

"Hey, guys! Kagome's awake!"

Inuyasha was the first to rush over to Kagome, dropping his bowlful of ramen by the fire without second thought. He crouched in front of her, peering into her face with such intensity that Kagome had to bite back a giggle.

"What happened to you?" he asked. Kagome glanced up from her hanyou friend to see that everyone else had gathered around as well, waiting silently for her answer.

"Do I smell ramen?" she asked instead. "I'm pretty hungry."

"Of course!" said Sango. "You haven't eaten anything since last night!"

"Last night?" Kagome asked as Sango went to retrieve a bowl for Kagome. She frowned when she saw that the sun was setting. "How long have I been out?"

"_We_ really aren't sure, since you were already unconscious when Hiei brought you back this morning ," said Inuyasha, glaring at the fire apparition.

Kagome gasped. "You mean I've been asleep all day?"

"That is to be expected, considering the drug that was introduced to your bloodstream," said Kurama.

"I knew something was wrong with me, but I just couldn't stop myself. I really lost it there, huh?" Kagome asked, giving Sango a grateful smile as her friend handed her a steaming bowl of ramen.

"You had me worried. It was almost like the time with Gatenmaru..." Sango trailed off, but Kagome knew exactly what she was talking about. _When Inuyasha lost the Tessaiga and killed all those bandits...was I really that bad?_

"What happened after he took you away from the fight?" asked Inuyasha.

"Hiei took me to kill a centipede youkai," she said solemnly.

Yuusuke snorted. "How romantic. Hiei's version of a date." Inuyasha still suspected that there was more to the story, but he couldn't gather the courage to ask. By the way she remained so close to Hiei, it was obvious that nothing had been forced on her.

"Hey! Where were you guys last night?" Kagome asked, suddenly changing the subject and turning to Hiei. "Did you find out anything about Kohaku?"

"Unfortunately, no. It seems that we were following a false lead," said Hiei.

"Yeah, it was some other human kid," Kouga said. "Botan took him back to Ningenkai."

"What was another human boy doing in Makai? And how did he get here?" Kagome asked.

"A youkai was selling his blood," said Yuusuke. "We haven't figured out where he came from or how he got here. The kid still hasn't regained consciousness."

Kagome's face fell in disappointment. "You mean we've been wasting our time? How are we supposed to find Naraku now?"

"We don't know," Kouga said grimly. "That's what we've been trying to figure out all day. At this point, we're completely out of leads."

Kagome slumped against Hiei's side. "What do we do now?" she asked.

No one had an answer for that.

* * *

Naraku's stony facade betrayed no emotion as he regarded the spy who bowed low before him.

"So soon," he murmured.

The spy swallowed hard. "Y-yes, my lord. Hiroshi is--"

"Dead, I'm sure," said Naraku. "You are dismissed."

"Th-thank you, my lord." The spy slunk out through the open shoji door, grateful that he'd been allowed to retain his life in spite of the news.

Naraku frowned. It was but a minor setback, but he hadn't planned on the miko and her group finding his red herring so quickly. It had been simple enough to kidnap a second human boy on the same trip to Ningenkai that he'd taken the miko's brother. Finding a willing buyer who would parade the child around Makai was easier still.

But now, Naraku would have to find yet another distraction for the group, something to draw them away from him. His carefully laid plans would be shot to hell if they found him before his corruption of the boy was complete. He mused over his options. _Something big enough to delay and distract them, but not so powerful as to kill the miko..._

A faint smile tugged at his lips as Naraku came to a decision. Yes, this would prove to be most entertaining indeed.

_Edited 17 May 2005_


	15. Kugutsu

**Paradox**  


by Somnambulicious

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer**:  
I don't own either  
_Inuyasha_ or _YuuYuu_;  
Somebody else does.

* * *

**Chapter 15**:** Kugutsu**> 

Having spent the entire day sleeping, Kagome found herself in a predicament her mother would call "having your days and nights mixed up." She turned over on her back, trying to find the magical position in the sleeping bag that would allow her to sleep. But sleep remained elusive, and Kagome finally gave up and wormed her way out.

Now...what to do? On nights like this in the Sengoku Jidai, Kagome usually occupied herself with homework until she fell asleep, but she hadn't brought any with her to Makai. Sango had been kind enough to mend her torn clothing, so that was taken care of. Kouga had left earlier that evening to check up on his pack, and Inuyasha and Hiei were mysteriously absent. Kagome blinked as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. For that matter, where was Miroku?

Excited at the prospect of finally having something to do, Kagome tiptoed across the clearing, carefully avoiding the huddled forms of her sleeping companions. She wasn't entirely certain that she was heading in the right direction until she heard the low murmur of voices just ahead of her on the path. She was grateful for the lack of vegetation on the forest floor as she silently crept toward the three figures, ducking behind a tree to remain out of sight. Kagome clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp when she heard the seriousness in Miroku's voice.

"Entering into any kind of a relationship with Kagome is no simple thing..."

* * *

_A few minutes earlier_...

Once he was certain that everyone was asleep, Miroku rose from his sleeping bag and turned to the tree in which he knew Inuyasha was perched. He nodded silently and walked down the path into the forest. Once the houshi was out of sight, Inuyasha turned his bright golden eyes toward Hiei and tilted his head in Miroku's direction in a silent command: _Follow us._ Without waiting for the apparition's response, Inuyasha leapt from tree to tree and dropped to the forest floor where Miroku was waiting for him, out of hearing distance of the camp.

Hiei heaved an exasperated sigh. He didn't like being ordered around -- no, not at all -- but he refused to back down from a fight. He had an inkling as to what the two males wanted to discuss, and while he wasn't looking forward to the confrontation, staying where he was would only delay the inevitable and possibly make things worse in the long run. He looked down at Kagome, lying on her stomach in her sleeping bag, and decided that she was worth at least this much trouble. Gearing himself up for what was sure to be an ordeal, Hiei silently followed Inuyasha and Miroku into the forest.

Miroku was leaning casually against a tree, his eyes downcast as he drew lazy circles in the soil with his staff. Inuyasha looked far more impatient, tapping his bare foot on the ground and huffing irritably. He didn't stop until Hiei suddenly appeared in front of him.

"It's about time," Inuyasha snapped.

"Get on with it," said Hiei.

"Fine, I'll get straight to the point. What exactly are your intentions with Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, his hand on Tessaiga's hilt in a not-so-subtle threat.

Hiei remained unperturbed. "I don't think that's any business of yours, hanyou," he said derisively.

Inuyasha growled. "Listen up, shorty, 'cause I'm only going to say this once. Kagome was mine to protect a long time before you came along, and I'm not going to just hand her over to the first male that wants to rut with her. I've been holding off that mangy wolf for two years now because he's not good enough for her. If you think I'm going to make this easy, you're sorely mistaken."

"If that is the case, you should have raised your objections long ago," said Hiei, crossing his arms and leaning casually against a tree.

Inuyasha snorted. "I honestly didn't think it would get this far. But Kagome's a human woman of childbearing age. I guess I underestimated certain needs that she has, if I smelled what I think I smelled when you two came back this morning. So I'm going to ask you one more time: what are your intentions with her?"

Hiei honestly wasn't sure how to answer the question, so he opted for the next best thing. "I don't have to answer to you."

Inuyasha looked like he was about to explode, but at that point, Miroku raised his violet eyes to lock his gaze on Hiei. "Ah, but I'm afraid you do," he said. "Entering into any kind of a relationship with Kagome is no simple thing. At this point in time, I would say that she is the most important person in the three worlds. Only she can lead us to Naraku. Only she can purify the jewel. She is the one who binds together the enemies of Naraku. Without Kagome, we would have no hope of defeating him. So you can understand why we must concern ourselves with such an important aspect of her life."

Hiei refused to back down from Miroku's piercing gaze. "I am well aware of Kagome's obligations, houshi. I neither need nor appreciate the lecture."

Inuyasha straightened himself and nodded with an air of superiority. "Good. Then you know that we can't afford to have her upset over some dumb little lovers' quarrel. We know from experience that she gets so emotional over stupid shit like that. I'll look the other way as long as your little romps in the forest are a good distraction for her. Kami knows she needs it. But the minute you hurt her in any way, shrimp, I'll tear out your spine and shove it down your throat." The hanyou flexed his fingers, the action betraying just how serious he was about defending Kagome with those lethal claws.

That was the last straw for Hiei. He had no desire to stand here and take threats from that idiotic halfbreed. He turned his back on the two males, fully intent on returning to the camp, but he stopped in his tracks when Miroku's deadly calm voice broke the silence.

"And he won't be the only one you have to contend with. You see," Miroku said, emphasizing his words by tapping his staff on the ground as he spoke, "Kagome-sama is a _very important_ person to me, and I am _deeply concerned_ about her welfare. If _anything_ were to happen to upset her in _any way_, I would be most _most displeased_."

Now he had Hiei's full attention. The hanyou didn't faze him at all; while the Tessaiga was a weapon to be reckoned with, Hiei was absolutely certain that he could render Inuyasha helpless long before the hanyou ever had a chance to draw the sword. But the houshi, on the other hand...Hiei frowned. Holy powers were always a wild card, and Hiei was entirely certain that the devious houshi had no qualms about fighting dirty.

But still, he refused to back down. Hiei turned and looked Miroku straight in the eye. "I am not concerned with your pleasure, houshi. And as for the girl..." Hiei turned his back to the two males. "Perhaps you would do better to ask her what _her_ intentions are. This so-called relationship will only go as far as she wishes." With that, Hiei disappeared into the trees.

Kagome sunk down against the tree trunk as Miroku practically dragged an indignant Inuyasha back to camp. _So-called relationship?_ What did he mean by that? And why couldn't he just answer their question?

_Stupid, stupid, stupid. I don't have time for this._ Kagome had more important things to worry about, like rescuing her brother and saving the world. But still, Kagome couldn't stop the nagging questions that plagued her mind. Was she in over her head? Was Hiei just using her? Would he leave once he'd gotten what he wanted from her? Sighing, Kagome drew her knees up to her chest and stared off into space.

That's how Yuusuke found her ten minutes later. He could barely make out the paleness of her face in the darkness. Inuyasha had roused everyone when he'd returned to camp to find Kagome missing and loudly insisted that they all search for her. Yuusuke took one look at the girl huddled at the base of a tree trunk and knew something was bothering her. He heaved a sigh and sat down next to her.

"Something bothering you?" he asked gruffly.

Kagome glanced at the fidgeting man sitting next to her. "No, just the usual," she said wryly. "Overbearing protectors taking over my life, unaffectionate non-boyfriend, trying to stop an evil hanyou from taking over the world...you know, normal stuff."

"Huh. I guess you probably want to talk about it or something."

Kagome patted Yuusuke's arm and grinned slightly. "No, no, that's okay. I won't bother you with my silly little problems." She was about to get up and head back to camp when Yuusuke unexpectedly spoke.

"He's not a bad guy," he said suddenly. "Hiei, I mean. Yeah, he can be bloodthirsty as hell, antisocial, condescending, and hostile. But I trust him with my life. He's got some weird sense of ethics that won't let him cross an ally."

"I know that," Kagome said softly as she absently fingered the collar of her yukata. "But I just don't know what he wants from me."

Yuusuke cocked an eyebrow, regarding the girl sitting next to him. "I don't think he'd put up with being in the presence of a 'foolish human' just for sex, if that's what you're thinking." Kagome blushed, and Yuusuke chuckled. "He's probably just as confused as you are, but I've seen the way he acts around you. You've got to be something special to him. I mean, we're talking about the guy who wanted to turn all humans into a brainless monster army and take over the Ningenkai. Hiei wouldn't let his guard down around a human long enough to get as close as he has to you, not if you didn't mean something to him."

This time, Kagome's smile was bright and genuine. "Thank you, Yuusuke. I really needed to hear that."

"Naw, it's nothing." He gave Kagome a wicked grin. "You know, if I didn't already have Keiko, I might have given Hiei a run for his money."

Kagome laughed. "Yes, Yuusuke, I think you might have." She groaned when she heard a few familiar voices calling out her name. "I guess I'd better get back to camp," she said.

Yuusuke stood and offered her a hand up, which Kagome accepted. He slanted her a sly look. "You want to give Hiei something to growl about?"

Kagome regarded him warily as she fell into step next to him on the path. "I don't know. That depends on what you have in mind."

Yuusuke's lip curled up in a devious grin. "Aw, nothing that the houshi would do. Just a brotherly arm around the shoulders. You know, to keep you safe from all the monsters lurking in the woods."

Kagome laughed. "Hey, my non-boyfriend just happens to be one of those monsters. Actually, now that I think about it, so are you."

Yuusuke's eyes widened in feigned shock. "Me? How could you say something like that? Just because I'm a little rough around the edges--"

Kagome swatted his arm playfully. "A little rough? Come on, my little brother told me stories about you when I happened to mention that you showed up in the dojo. Weren't you the Number One Delinquent and Resident Badass at Sarayashiki Junior High?"

"'Resident Badass?' Wow, I hadn't heard that one before. I guess my reputation has taken on a life of its own since I graduated." Yuusuke was practically beaming.

"You say that like you're proud of it or something," said Kagome, rolling her eyes. They were just entering the clearing where the group had set up camp, and Yuusuke playfully hooked an arm around Kagome's neck and ground his knuckles into her hair, earning an indignant squeal from the girl and a baleful glare from a certain fire apparition.

Kagome quickly ducked under Yuusuke's arm when she heard a growl from overhead. The Tantei gave her a knowing wink before strolling over to his backpack.

_**'I thought I told you to refrain from physical displays of affection with other males**_.'

At Hiei's words, Kagome huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. _'Why? Are you going to bother to acknowledge our 'so-called relationship' now? Besides, I didn't do anything. That was all Yuusuke.'_

Hiei was surprised at the bitterness in her voice. Then the significance of what she'd said hit him. He silently cursed the ofuda that had allowed her to escape his detection. _**'How much did you hear?'**_

_'Enough. And don't even think about lecturing me on spying. It wouldn't mean much coming from you.'_ Hiei rolled his eyes as he watched the exasperating girl climb back into her sleeping bag. She squeezed her eyes shut, but Hiei could tell that she was far from asleep.

Well, obviously Hiei's earlier question had been answered: the girl wanted more than just a physical relationship with him. Somehow, he wasn't as comforted by the idea as he thought he should be. What did she expect him to do? Proclaim his affections from the mountaintops? Hiei snorted. _Highly unlikely._ But Kurama's earlier words haunted him: _"One such as her needs the constant reassurance and comfort that only an honest lover can offer. If you cannot fulfill that role, then rest assured that someone else will."_

Hiei was distracted from his thoughts when the hanyou and the houshi entered the camp. Inuyasha stomped angrily over to Kagome's sleeping bag and yanked it open, startling the young miko. "Oi, wench! What the hell were you thinking, wandering off into the forest like that?"

Kagome opened her mouth to retort, but before she could say a word, Hiei suddenly appeared in front of her, crouched low and blocking her from Inuyasha's view. 

"She doesn't answer to you," Hiei said, his eyes narrowing menacingly.

Kagome's mouth dropped open in surprise. _I don't? I mean, of course I don't!_

"She doesn't?" Inuyasha asked, echoing Kagome's surprise. "Of course she does! She can't just run off into the woods by herself on a whim! If she was attacked, and none of us were there to protect her--"

"Kagome is capable of defending herself against most attackers. She was near the camp the entire time." Hiei glanced back at Kagome's sharp intake of breath; she was surprised to hear him use her actual name out loud.

Yuusuke walked up at this point, munching on a candybar. "I can vouch for that," he said around a mouthful of chocolate. "She was just sittin' next to a tree, well within shouting distance."

"You stay out of this," Inuyasha snapped. "It's none of your damn business."

"Whoa, chill out, dog-boy!" Yuusuke ignored Inuyasha's growl. "What kind of a friend would I be if I just stood by while you treat Kagome like a little kid?"

"I only treat her like a kid when she acts like one!" snapped Inuyasha.

"So what? You gonna follow her into the woods every time she has to piss now?"

"Well, yeah! She's a magnet for trouble, and if she went and lost the shards again--"

"That's ENOUGH!" Inuyasha's ears flattened to his head at the volume of Kagome's voice. She was standing now, her fists clenched and shaking at her sides. "I've had it with all of this! I went into the forest because I was looking for you and Miroku!"

"Feh!" Inuyasha tucked his hands up into his sleeves and crossed his arms. "It's not like we needed your help."

"And neither did I!"

"Hell, woman, you didn't this time, but what if--"

"Some of us are trying to sleep, you know!" Sango yelled from her sleeping bag. Hiei took advantage of the momentary distraction to step between Kagome and Inuyasha again.

"If you're finished with the meaningless drivel, I believe that you and the humans need sleep, _hanyou_." Hiei's lip curled up in a smirk when Inuyasha growled at the veiled insult.

"You think you can just barge in and take over after a couple of weeks? I've been taking care of Kagome for two and a half years! Just because you can get her to lift her skirt for you doesn't give you the right to--"

"Inuyasha!"

At Kagome's horrified shout, Inuyasha's ears instantly drooped. He was suddenly aware that they had an audience, and that he had, once again, spoken without thinking. "Kagome, I didn't mean--"

"Sit!" Inuyasha crashed to the ground, but didn't utter a word in protest. "Is that what you think of me?" Inuyasha looked up to see tears streaming down Kagome's cheeks.

"Kagome, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"You just had to go and embarrass me in front of everyone, didn't you?" Kagome whispered. "I thought you knew me better than that."

"I do, I really do." Inuyasha's words were muffled against the ground. "I just worry about you is all."

Kagome glanced back at the group standing behind Inuyasha and felt completely humiliated for the sympathetic looks they were giving her. Kurabara was shaking his head disapprovingly at Inuyasha, mumbling something about 'learning how to treat a woman with respect' under his breath. As much as she hated being embarrassed in front of everyone, having to suffer through their pity was ten times worse. She leaned forward and rested her forehead against Hiei's back. "Take me away from this," she whispered. "I can't stand to see them looking at me like that."

Hiei turned around and hooked his arm around Kagome's waist before leaping soundlessly into a nearby tree. He leaned back against the tree trunk, and Kagome rested her head against his chest.

_'Thank you, Hiei. I'm sorry I'm such a bother,'_ she said.

_**'Nonsense. It is never a bother to protect what is mine.**_'

_'What is yours?'_ Kagome asked, turning to look up at Hiei. _'You mean--'_

_**'Don't be ridiculous,'**_ Hiei said, cutting her off. _**'Do you honestly think I would go to all this trouble if I didn't want more than just a good fuck?'**_

Kagome blushed, but decided that she wanted to hear more. _'What do you mean?_'

Hiei sighed heavily. He detested being called upon to express his 'feelings.' _Silly ningen insecurities._ _**'I mean just what I say. You are mine, and you**_ will_ refrain from unnecessary contact with the other males.'_

_'Okay, okay, I get the point by now,'_ Kagome said with a giggle. She thought about the implications of what he was saying, and her mood suddenly turned somber. _'You're sure this is what you want? I mean, I'm not the easiest person to be with. I come with a lot of baggage.'_

_**'I am always sure of what I want,'**_ Hiei responded. _**'You still doubt my intentions?'**_

_'No. I trust you. It's just that what you said earlier, when you were talking to Inuyasha and Miroku--_'

_**'I refuse to explain myself to the houshi and the hanyou,'**_ Hiei said with a derisive snort. _**'This surprises you?'**_

_'Now that I think about it, no, it doesn't. You do know that they're just trying to look out for me, right? While I might not agree with their methods, they do mean well._'

Hiei pulled Kagome tighter against him. _**'Their concerns are misplaced. I will not allow any harm to come to you, and they will **_not_ take you away from me.'_

_'Of course not,'_ Kagome said softly, reaching up to gently stroke Hiei's arm in an instinctive effort to soothe the threat he perceived from her male friends. _'They couldn't take me away if they tried.'_

Kagome yawned widely and shifted in Hiei's embrace, shivering slightly in the cool night air. _Guess I should've grabbed a blanket,_ she thought. She was about to ask Hiei to get her one, but he'd apparently already noticed her discomfort, because the air around her suddenly got a whole lot warmer. Hiei let his youki flare up, raising his own body temperature until he was satisfied that Kagome was warm enough. She snuggled deeper against his chest and mumbled a sleepy, "Thank you," before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

The morning dawned far too early for the humans, whose sleep schedules had been completely shot to hell over the past few days. Sango mumbled curses under her breath as she stumbled into the forest and out of sight to freshen up and dress for another long day. Miroku was still half-asleep as he prepared breakfast, spilling the first pot of tea into the fire and nearly sending his sweatshirt up in flames on two occasions. Yuusuke, of course, refused to budge until Kirara picked him up by the shirt collar and tossed him halfway across the clearing at Kurabara's request (the firecat had taken quite a liking to the kindhearted man.) Kurabara, strangely enough, was the only human who didn't seem to be suffering from lack of sleep.

Kagome was the only one who got to sleep past dawn that morning, largely due to the fact that everyone carefully avoided getting anywhere near the tree where she was sleeping. Breakfast was long over, and the group was getting restless with no plan for the day and nothing to do, so Yuusuke decided that a game of rock-paper-scissors would decide who got the thankless job of asking Hiei to wake the miko. Kurabara lost, but Kurama volunteered to go in his stead; he wasn't so sure that Hiei's least-favorite member of the team would come out unscathed.

Kurama approached the tree cautiously. "Hiei?" he said hushed tone. "Everyone else is already up and ready to go. It might be a good idea to wake Kagome now."

_**'She is already waking,'**_ replied Hiei. _**'We will be down momentarily. See to it that there is something for her to eat.'**_

'_Well, he seems to be in a better mood this morning,_' Kurama thought as he walked back to the campfire and spooned the remaining oatmeal into a bowl for Kagome.

'_Last night must have solidified his relationship with the miko,_' Youko speculated. '_It's only a matter of time before he makes his claim more public._'

'_You think so?_' asked Kurama. '_He's moving awfully fast, don't you think?_'

'_Hiei has always been overly sure of himself,_' Youko said with a chuckle. '_He's already got her covered in his scent. If Hiei's willing to put up with the hanyou's insults without killing him, then he must really feel something for the girl_.'

'_You don't seem to be upset at that anymore,_' observed Kurama.

Youko mentally shrugged. '_If casual sex was all he was after, then I might have played the game a bit longer. But if he's looking for a mate, then I won't interfere. We -- and by 'we,' I mean 'you' -- aren't ready for that yet, and it would be beyond disgraceful of me to preempt his first chance at any kind of lasting happiness for nothing more than a quick roll in the sack,_' he said decidedly. '_Although it would have been fun._'

'_I'm glad you see it that way,_' said Kurama. '_You should probably let Hiei know that you don't intend to challenge his claim._'

Youko laughed. '_What, and ruin all my fun? No, I think I'll just wait for him to figure it out for himself._' Kurama rolled his eyes and waited for the miko to come and get her breakfast.

Up in the nearby tree, Kagome groaned as she tried to stretch the kinks out of her back. _'How do you manage to sleep in the trees every night and not end up in knots?'_

Hiei was enjoying a great deal of amusement at her expense. _**'I only need to hibernate on very rare occasions, when I have exhausted every last ounce of my strength. I do not sleep, as you say. But you had best find a way to get comfortable in the trees, because you'll be sleeping up here with me for the rest of this mission.**_'

Kagome giggled nervously and blushed at the implications of that statement. _'I know it's a little late to be asking this, but do you think we're moving a bit too fast?'_

_**'Of course not,'**_ Hiei said firmly. _**'This is what you want, is it not?'**_

_'Well, yes,'_ Kagome replied, pulling her yukata tighter around herself in the cool morning breeze.

_**'You know what you want. Why would you hesitate to take it?**_'

_'Well, where I'm from, humans usually date each other for a while -- months or years, sometimes -- before they become, ah, physically intimate and start sleeping next to each other. A lot of people believe they should wait until they're married to share themselves with another person that way._'

Hiei had to physically restrain himself from laughing out loud at that statement. _**'That's not what I've observed during the short amount of time I've been forced to spend in the Ningenkai.'**_

_'Well, that's what we're supposed to do,'_ Kagome said indignantly. _'You're supposed to get to know each other first.'_

_**'And do you feel you don't know me well enough, even after everything I've showed you?'**_ asked Hiei.

Kagome shook her head. _'I've probably learned more about you in two weeks than I learned about Inuyasha in two years.'_ She reached up and ran her fingers lightly over Hiei's headband. _'I am rather fond of that odd creature stuck in your forehead.'_

Hiei could feel the waves of pleasure radiating off of the Jagan from Kagome's light touch. He slid his hands down her sides and splayed his fingers over her hips, eliciting a sharp gasp from the girl when he pressed down firmly. _**'And do you not wish to share yourself with me more intimately?'**_

Kagome shivered when Hiei nipped lightly at her neck. _'You know that I do,'_ she said, _'but it just seems to sudden, when I step back and look at everything that's happened between us over the past few weeks. I think Inuyasha and the others will understand eventually, but my family, and my friends back home--'_

_**'--couldn't possibly begin to comprehend what your life is like now,'**_ Hiei finished for her. _**'You can no longer live your life by their standards, Kagome. You may be human by birth and blood, but your life has made you like one of us.'**_

_'One of us?'_ Kagome asked distractedly as Hiei continued to kiss the back of her neck.

_**'The jewel must have chosen you for a reason. You have a greater destiny than the rest of those brainless idiots that occupy the Ningenkai. To them, you would be a creature of legend and power, and they would fear you if they knew the truth.**_'

"Like youkai," Kagome whispered out loud. _'My life never will be normal again, will it?'_

_**'We have been over this before,'**_ Hiei reminded her, amusement dancing in his eyes. _**'You are meant for greater things than that.'**_

Kagome reluctantly tried to pull herself from Hiei's embrace, but he tightened his hold around her waist and growled softly. _'It's well past dawn, Hiei,'_ Kagome admonished him. _'The others are waiting for us.'_

_**'I thought you said you wanted a greater level of intimacy,'**_ Hiei said seductively as he nipped at her earlobe.

"Not right now!" Kagome squealed, twisting herself around to face Hiei. "Everybody's right down there in the camp!" she hissed.

Hiei covered her mouth in an soft, slow kiss, flicking out his tongue to just barely caress her lower lip. Kagome relaxed completely in his embrace. He smirked at her frustrated groan when he pulled out of the kiss. _**'I thought you wanted to wait until later,'**_ he teased her.

Kagome stuck her tongue out at him. "I do. But you don't have to make it so hard on me." She 'humphed' at Hiei's mental chuckle and hooked an arm around his neck as he prepared to jump from the tree.

_**'You don't have to hold on so tight,'**_ Hiei growled at her after they landed softly on the ground. _**'I'm not going to drop you.'**_

_'Just taking out a bit of frustration, that's all,'_ came Kagome's amused reply.

"Oi, sleepyhead! You finally get enough rest?" Yuusuke asked as Kurama handed the girl a bowl of oatmeal.

"I slept quite nicely, thanks." Kagome chose to ignore Yuusuke's suspicious grin and instead focused on _not_ spitting out the mouthful of cold oatmeal. "What are our plans for today? Any ideas about which way we should go?" she asked.

"None at all," Yuusuke said grimly, shaking his head. "You're not getting any tingly feelings about shards, are you?"

Kagome cocked her head to the side, and her eyes unfocused a bit before she turned her attention back to Yuusuke. "No, sorry. I'm not getting anything."

"Damn," said Yuusuke. "At this point, we have absolutely nothing to go on."

"What about Sesshoumaru?" asked Kurabara. "He's supposed to have spies out looking for Naraku, right?" Inuyasha growled at the mention of his despised half-brother, but after last night, he didn't want to risk angering Kagome again, so he refrained from indulging in an tirade against his elder sibling.

"Kouga said Sesshoumaru was supposed to contact us if he heard anything, so I doubt that he knows any more than we do at this point," said Yuusuke. "But right now, heading in Sesshoumaru's direction is probably our best bet. At least that way, we'll hear from him sooner if he does pick up on anything."

"But what about Kouga?" asked Sango. "He still hasn't come back from visiting his pack."

"Hell, if that poor excuse for a canine can't even track us down with his nose, then he's not good enough to fight Naraku with us," said Inuyasha.

"I guess you've got a point there." Everyone turned and stared at Kagome. Sure, they'd all expected her to respond, but certainly not to _agree._

"I...I do?"

Kagome giggled at the shocked look on Inuyasha's face. "Well, yeah. If Kouga can't catch up to a group traveling at human speed and not masking their scents, then he's either too slow, his senses are too dull, or he's not motivated enough. I vote that we head toward Sesshoumaru."

"Well, then, it's a plan," Yuusuke said decisively. "We've spent too long in one place as it is. Everybody get your packs. Sango, do you think Kirara would be willing to carry a couple of humans at a time again?"

"You up to it, Kirara?" Sango asked, scratching the firecat's ears. Kirara purred. "I think that's a yes."

Inuyasha broke out of his momentary stupor, finally realizing that insulting Kouga had actually ensured that he'd see his brother sooner rather than later. "Hey, wait! I didn't mean-- Aw, hell." The hanyou reluctantly followed the rest of the group, who were already headed down the forest path and toward Sesshoumaru's lands. At least Kagome had apparently had one of her famous mood swings and didn't want to kill him anymore.

* * *

After lunch, it was Sango and Kagome's turn to ride Kirara. Sango couldn't help but notice that Kagome was distracted, fidgeting with her obi, glancing down at a certain fire apparition on the ground below them from time to time. After Kagome had retied her obi for the sixth time, Sango had enough.

"Kagome? Is something bothering you? Do you want to talk?" asked Sango.

Kagome blushed and ducked her head. "I do have some questions about youkai."

"Ah...that's pretty vague. What did you want to know?" Sango actually had a fairly good idea of what Kagome wanted to ask, but she decided to draw out her friend's torture for a bit longer.

"Well-- It's nothing. Never mind."

"Come on, Kagome. I'm training you in the taijiya ways, remember? You need to know everything you can about youkai. I'm always here to answer any questions you might have."

Kagome took a deep breath and blurted out, "What about youkai mating habits?" _There. I said it. It's done. Now I just need to pray that none of the youkai can hear this conversation._

Sango made a show of tapping her finger on her chin and looking thoughtful. "Well, it would help if I knew what _kind_ of youkai you were wondering about." She twisted around and broke out into laughter at the hopeless look on Kagome's face. "All right, all right. I'll give you the generalities, and then we can move on to specifics. You'd better remember this, because I'm only going to go through this once. You ready?"

Kagome nodded enthusiastically. "Thanks!"

"Animal youkai generally follow the same patterns as their animal counterparts. You remember how Kouga told you that wolves mate for life?" Kagome rolled her eyes and nodded. It wasn't one of her fondest memories. "That's true of Yourouzoku for the most part. The alpha male of the pack may have several mates, but only the alpha female will go into heat and bear young. The other females are there to help with the pups and for the alpha male's...recreational purposes. But other kinds of youkai are different. Hooved ones, for example, don't form monogamous pairings. The males fight over the females in heat, and the female chooses the strongest male present for each mating."

"Do they formalize their unions, like we do with weddings?" asked Kagome.

"Again, that depends. Youkai of the noble class will usually have a contract outlining the terms of their unions, but lower-class youkai usually don't do anything like that. Remember that for us humans, marriage is done in a religious ceremony."

"And youkai don't have that."

"Correct," said Sango, nodding. "For youkai that do form long-term relationships, mates are usually scent-marked. For example, Inuyasha would know that Ayame was mated to Kouga because she smells of him, and the reverse is true as well. The more frequent the pairings, and the closer the mates are, the stronger the scent and the claim will be."

"So that's what Kouga meant when he said he hadn't 'marked' me yet?"

"Right again." She turned around and gave Kagome a wink. "You're turning out to be quite a bright student."

Kagome blushed. _Yeah, only because I have to deal with stuff like this on a daily basis._ "But he said he'd be careful not to get me 'pupped.' Didn't you say that only the alpha female wolf bears young?"

"That's still true, but you're human. Your body wouldn't recognize the pack hierarchy the way the wolves' bodies do. You'd still be able to have children." Sango narrowed her eyes and gave Kagome a suspicious look. "Hey, you're not thinking of actually--"

"Eep! Oh, no, no, no! Kouga and I-- No! I was just curious."

Sango laughed. "That's good. You'd have to be subordinate to the first three of Kouga's mates, and I don't think that would suit your temperament. Besides, wolves may say that they mate for life, but with youkai, that's a very, very long time. While mates may be bonded for life, that doesn't stop infidelity from happening, and in packs it happens often. And when a new alpha male rises in the pack, all of the previous alpha's females automatically become his mates, and subordinate to any mates he already has. I doubt that you'd be comfortable with that kind of life."

Kagome shuddered at the thought. "But I thought you said other youkai would recognize scent-marked mates."

"Just because they recognize it doesn't mean that they'll respect it. Youkai can tell a lot of things from the scent mark, and one of those things is the health and physical strength of other youkai. If a male thinks that a female's mate is weaker than he is, he might try to take her for his own. And youkai aren't any more immune to temptation than humans are. Some will be faithful to their mates for life, and others won't. You have to remember that a lifetime will sometimes span centuries for youkai. That's a long time to stick with just one mate. If you want to know anything more detailed or specific about the matings themselves, you'll have to go through the scrolls I brought with me from my village. I left them with Botan back in Reikai."

"That covers animal youkai, but what about others, like elementals?" asked Kagome.

"Again, that depends on the type. You never told me what he was."

Kagome looked down at Hiei, who was now jumping from tree to tree below them. With the distance, and the noise of the wind, he probably couldn't hear her. She leaned forward to whisper in Sango's ear. "I'll tell you, but you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone else. I don't think he'd like it if more people knew."

That piqued Sango's curiosity. _What on earth could he be that he wouldn't want anyone to know?_ she wondered. "I swear I won't tell a soul, and I won't let him know that you told me."

"Okay. His mother was a Koorime, and his father was a fire apparition."

"WHAT?"

"Shh!"

"You've got to be joking! That's impossible!"

"Keep your voice down, Sango!" Kagome hissed. "And it's true. He showed me his memories, and I don't think there's any way he could have been lying to me. Besides, why would he lie about something like that?"

Sango shook her head in disbelief. "The Koorime are all female, and they reproduce completely on their own, without any males. I've never heard of one mating with a male, let alone a fire apparition."

"It makes a lot of things clearer, doesn't it?"

Sango stared down at Hiei's blurred form in the trees below them. "It sure does," she said in an awed whisper. "He shouldn't even be alive. I don't understand how he could survive at all. I guess he's a lot stronger than I thought he was."

"Oh, yes, he's very strong!" Kagome said proudly. Sango broke into a fit of laughter that lasted a good two minutes, much to Kagome's consternation.

"Oh, Kagome, you really are stuck on him, aren't you?" she said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. She glanced back and saw the annoyed look on Kagome's face, which of course resulted in another full minute of giggles. "Okay, okay, I'm through now. I swear." Sango paused to collect her thoughts. "A hybrid like him... I can tell by looking at him that fire is the dominant element in his nature. But even then, there are many types of fire youkai. From his personality, and the fact that he seems to be courting you in his own fashion, I'd say that he'd be likely to form a strong, long-term bond and expect strict fidelity from a mate. But I could be completely wrong about that. There's no way of knowing. Was he raised by his father or his mother?"

"Neither," Kagome said sadly. "He was cast out by the Koorime shortly after his birth, and raised by a band of thieves."

Sango sighed. "Well, that doesn't tell us anything more." She turned her head and gave Kagome a stern look. "You'd better be extra careful with him. I know most girls are married by the time they're our age, but you and I have responsibilities that won't allow us to lead a normal life right now. And Hiei is strong and dangerous. I hope you know what you're getting into."

Kagome really didn't want to be lectured about her choice of boyfriend again, so she decided to steer the topic in a different direction. "I've noticed that you aren't like the other girls I've met in the Sengoku Jidai. Most of them are a lot more experienced with boys, and they don't react so badly when Miroku gropes them."

"I was raised differently," Sango said with a shrug. "It differs from village to village. While most village girls are raised to be wives and mothers, I was trained as a warrior from the time I could stand. I guess it gives me a different outlook on life from the other girls. While they might find Miroku's attentions flattering, I think it's insulting. I'm more than just a vessel to bear children or please a man. If he wants to win me over, he's got to recognize that."

"I think he really does," said Kagome. "You've got to consider how he was raised, too. Mushin isn't exactly the perfect male role model."

"You've got that right," Sango said dryly.

"I don't think he knows any other way to express his affection. Besides, bearing children and pleasing men isn't the only reason people are intimate with each other. It can be nice for the woman too, and sharing yourself with someone physically can bring you closer in your relationship."

Sango stiffened. "I know that," she snapped. "I just--" She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I just don't want to deal with it until after Naraku is gone and Kohaku finds some semblance of peace, whatever that may be," she said softly. "I can't even begin to start thinking about a new family right now, and if I gave myself to Miroku that way, that's definitely what it would be: a new family."

_And you still have to take care of the old one,_ Kagome thought sympathetically. "It's okay. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I just want you to be happy, to look out for yourself and plan for your life after all of this is over."

"I'll make you a deal, then," Sango said with a smile. "I'll do some thinking about what I want to do after Naraku is dead, and you promise me that you'll be careful with Hiei. You've got to look out for yourself, too, since you don't seem to keen on anybody else doing it for you."

"I am being careful," Kagome said insistently. "You don't have to worry about me."

"Well, if it's all the same to you, I'm going to worry anyway. My father would probably flay me alive if he knew I wasn't telling the last of the taijiya apprentices to break it off completely with her youkai lover. But against my better judgement, I won't tell you that. However, the moment he hurts or betrays you...let's just say that Hiraikotsu may be my most effective weapon, but I've got a nice, dull knife and a very slow-working poison that I reserve for special cases like that."

Kagome shivered at the evil glint in Sango's eye. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

"Don't get on my bad side."

"I'll try not to, believe me."

"As long as we're on the subject of youkai, I think it's time we had that little quiz I've been talking about," said Sango. Kagome groaned, wishing she'd never explained to Sango what a test was. "We'll start with the life cycles of the more common parasitic youkai."

"Fine, fine," Kagome grumbled. "Mindworm eggs are ingested when something eats the uncooked meat of an infected host..." Kagome dully recited the facts, with Sango interrupting her or asking for more information until Yuusuke shouted that it was time to stop for the evening. _Little quiz my ass,_ Kagome thought as she dismounted from Kirara. _Sango's far more demanding than any teacher I've ever had._

* * *

Late in the afternoon, the group had left the protective cover of the forest when they came to a flat, grassy plain. Yuusuke had chosen to camp for the night in a low-lying dry gully and refused to let anyone start a fire, with the hope of remaining unseen by passing youkai. The evening's 'feast' consisted of trail mix, cold soup, and canned tea (which Kurama adamantly refused to drink.)

Inuyasha and Hiei were equally upset about the lack of trees in which to sit, but Inuyasha was the only one to grumble loudly about it until Miroku told him to shut up or risk having his mouth sealed shut. Kagome was secretly glad for the lack of firelight that evening when Hiei insisted that she sleep in his lap yet again. _At least most of our group can't see me,_ she thought. But she snuggled into Hiei's warm embrace, grateful for her very own personal youkai space heater on the dark, chilly night, and secretly thrilling to the thought that sleeping next to him again would cover her with his scent.

A low, rumbling growl in Hiei's chest woke Kagome up well after midnight. She awoke with a gasp, but quickly stilled when Hiei clamped a hand over her mouth. _**'Something is coming,'**_ he warned her.

In the pale moonlight, Kagome could barely make out the figures of her friends, all standing with weapons in hand and staring at the southern lip of the gully.

_Thump_.

_Thump_.

_Thump_.

Whatever it was, it was slowly coming closer.

_'Why are we just waiting for it?'_ she asked Hiei.

_**'This one is weak and alone,'**_ he replied, _**'but leaving the protection of the gully for even a short fight might attract unwanted attention from stronger youkai.'**_

_Thump_.

Kagome stood and silently drew her blade, standing at ready for the youkai that was just about to drop into sight.

_Thump_.

Everyone visibly tensed when they realized the sound was coming from just over the edge of the gully.

_THUMP_.

The youkai landed in the middle of their camp...and Yuusuke and Kurabara both collapsed in a fit of laughter.

"That's-- That's--" Yuusuke gasped for breath and completely failed to finish whatever he was going to say.

"A KARAKASA KOUSO!" Kurabara yelled before he was overcome by laughter yet again.

Sure enough, that's exactly what the youkai was. Kagome stared, dumbfounded, at what looked like a large, folded paper umbrella with one giant foot, a single eye, and a tongue that was at least half a meter long.

Not sensing any immediate threat from the strange-looking youkai, Inuyasha lowered the Tessaiga and glared at Yuusuke and Kurabara. "What the hell is wrong with them?"

"Apparently they are amused to see a karakasa kouso," said Kurama. "It's an apparition originally from Chinese folklore, but we had no idea that any actually existed. In the stories, they are generally more disturbing than harmful."

"Hey, Kurabara, did you bring a camera? I want to get my picture with it!" Yuusuke yelled, prompting even more howls of laughter.

Kagome frowned. "Guys, I think there's something off about that youkai..." She couldn't be sure, but to her, it looked like there was a pattern of spiderwebs on the umbrella.

The karakasa kouso suddenly popped open, and Inuyasha snarled as he finally caught the scent of it. "It's a detachment from Naraku!" he yelled. Everybody wisely jumped back as he raised Tessaiga over his head and yelled, "Kaze no--"

The umbrella snapped shut, and before Inuyasha could strike, a cloud of black gas rushed out from it and filled the gully. "Shouki!" screamed Kagome. "Everyone get to higher ground _now_!" She started to scramble up the wall of the gully, but stopped when she realized she couldn't hear anybody following her. Kagome turned around and stumbled through the darkness, desperate to find her friends. "Guys, where are you?" she shouted, but the only reply she could hear was the rush of air as the karakasa kouso continued to pump shouki into the windless gully.

Kagome coughed, but the shouki didn't have the same effect on her as it did on everyone else. Her body naturally purified the poison as quickly as it entered her system. She let out a short scream when she suddenly tripped over something lying in her path, and Kagome couldn't believe her good luck when she realized what it was. _My bow and quiver..._ Quickly nocking an arrow, Kagome aimed blindly in the youkai's direction and prayed that she wouldn't accidentally purify one of her friends.

The blue fire of the hamaya cut a blazing path through the blackness, and while the first arrow missed, it purified enough of the shouki for Kagome to get a decent sight on her target. _One more time...hit the mark!_ The sharp twang of the bowstring resounded throughout the gully, and this time the arrow flew true to its mark. By the time the flames of the hamaya faded, nothing was left of the lowly youkai but a small pile of ashes.

Kagome didn't have time to congratulate herself. While her hamaya had cleared up some of the shouki, enough remained in the clearing to pose a threat to her friends. _I've got to get them to higher ground,_ she thought frantically. _Any more time here and they could die!_ She kneeled next to the nearest body she could see, which happened to be Sango, and lifted her friend over one shoulder. She grabbed Kirara by the scruff of her neck and staggered to her feet, determined not to lose a single one of her friends tonight. Wandering toward the north side of the gully, Kagome found a lightly sloping path up to the grassy plain. She quickly deposited Sango and Kirara a few meters away from the gully and turned right back around to retrieve the rest of the group.

Kagome could only carry one person at a time, and even that was almost too much for her. She didn't bother to think about which of her friends she got out of that poisoned air first; she just grabbed whoever she happened to come across first and either dragged or carried them up to safety. Kagome lost count of the number of times she stumbled under the weight of one of her unconscious companions. By the time she found Hiei -- the last of the group left in the gully -- her knees were completely raw and bloody, and she had a long gash on her hip from where she'd fallen on a sharp rock.

Kagome unceremoniously dumped Hiei onto the grass before she collapsed flat on her back. _You're not finished yet, Kagome,_ she told herself as she struggled to catch her breath. _You've still got to protect them until you can get help._ She struggled to sit up and dragged her bow and arrows into her lap. _You can't let them down now. It's your turn to protect them now._ Kagome was relieved to see that each of her friends was still breathing, although they all remained unconscious. _Maybe my luck really is changing for the better,_ she thought hopefully.

Unfortunately, she soon found out how wrong she was.

Kagome had absolutely no warning when the familiar white-shrouded figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere, looming over her like an angel of death. He laughed as she scrambled shakily to her feet, brandishing an arrow at him.

"Tsk, tsk, my little miko. It appears that your new friends are of no more use than the old ones. What a shame. I had hoped for a better challenge this time."

"Shut up, Naraku! I'll purify your stupid puppet before you can lay a hand on any of them!" Kagome nocked an arrow, but before she could draw back the bow, the kugutsu suddenly erupted in a mass of tentacles, sending Kagome flying backwards before she hit the ground a few meters away.

Kagome shook herself out of a daze and rose to her feet, gasping when she saw that the kugutsu had a sharp-tipped tentacle hovering over each of her friends' chests. "It's not my hands you have to worry about, little miko."

"Stop with the games. What do you want?" Kagome asked, mentally calculating how long it would take to retrieve her bow and arrows and fire off a shot. _Too long._

"What strange company you attract. A majin, a complete idiot of a human, a thieving kitsune, and the famed Forbidden Child of the Koorime. I knew you had odd taste in companions, but really, _two_ convicted felons? Your miko ancestors must be rolling over in their graves. It gives me hope for you after all."

"Cut the crap, Naraku," Kagome spat. "What are you doing here?"

"How delightful," Naraku said, chuckling darkly. "It appears from your language that they're rubbing off on you." A single brown tentacle snaked its way up to Kagome's face, lightly caressing her cheek. Kagome flinched back, but refused to back down. "It's been so very long, my little miko. I do so wish that I didn't have to delay our real meeting any longer, but I am very much enjoying the company of your younger brother. I simply had to make certain that your ragtag little group didn't accidentally stumble across my castle before I tire of him."

"Then you've got what you want, you bastard! Leave!"

Naraku completely ignored Kagome's outburst. "I find your choice of lovers to be most amusing. Surely you could find a more suitable partner than a hybrid with an artificial eye. I must admit I'm surprised that you find the most malevolent of your companions to be the most attractive." The tentacle slid down to Kagome's waist and wrapped around her hips, pulling her closer to the kugutsu. "Tell me, little miko, does the sight of blood on his sword arouse you? Does your need for him increase every time you see him extinguish another life with his own hands?"

"Shut up!"

The tentacles retracted back into the kugutsu, all except for the one hovering over the unconscious fire apparition and the one wrapped around Kagome's hips. "Such protest! Perhaps I would be doing you a favor if I ended his life altogether."

"I am not ashamed of Hiei!" Kagome screamed. "If you touch him, I swear I'll purify you until there's nothing left to reincarnate!"

"Now, how could I refuse a challenge like that?" Faster than Kagome's eyes could follow, the tentacle suddenly plunged down through Hiei's chest, pinning him to the ground below. Kagome watched in horror as his eyes flew open, and a sickening gurgling sound escaped from his throat before his eyes glazed over, and his head lolled to the side.

"You bastard!" Kagome flailed wildly at the tentacle holding her in place, which responded by retreating back to the baboon pelt. She snatched up her bow and an arrow and took aim. "I'll kill you!"

"Consider this but a taste of what our next meeting will be like. I'll be sure to--" Naraku's voice was cut off when the hamaya pierced the wooden figure hidden inside the kugutsu, and the puppet disintegrated.

Kagome rushed to Hiei's side and dropped to her knees, clutching his head to her chest and desperately searching for the slightest signs of life. "Please don't die, please don't die," she whispered over and over, running her fingers through his hair, even as she knew, deep down, that all hope was lost.

Hiei was dead.

* * *

Kagome had no idea how long she knelt there on the western plains of Makai, sobbing over the body of her dead would-be lover. In the back of her mind, she knew that her other friends probably needed medical attention of some kind, and a protected place to recover, but the miko just couldn't gather up the will to set Hiei down on the cold ground and figure out a way to get help. In her mind, letting go of him physically would mean admitting that he was out of her reach, and she just couldn't handle that.

The first fingers of sunlight stretched across the sky as dawn broke, but Kagome paid it no mind. She curled herself around her own grief, unable to pull herself out until a shadow suddenly fell across her, blocking the warm sunlight from her face. She raised her clouded eyes to find yet another white-clad youkai standing over her.

"Miko," he said, his nose twitching almost imperceptibly in disgust, "what is the meaning of this?"

"Sess... Sesshouomaru?" Somehow, Kagome's grief-hazed mind registered that there was something important about this particular youkai showing up... What was it? If only she could remember...

"My patience is short. Explain the presence of Naraku's shouki in this area at once." He'd picked up on the stench of it all the way back at his estate and immediately tracked it back to its source.

"N-Naraku?" Oh, yes, that's what had happened. "There was a detachment that brought the shouki, and everybody else passed out, so I dragged them up here. Then a kugutsu came, and he-- And he--" Kagome's breath hitched in her throat, and she couldn't find the words to continue.

"And the detachment? Where is it now?" Sesshoumaru demanded impatiently.

"I killed it," she said. Sesshoumaru raised an impeccable eyebrow at her. "I did!" she insisted angrily. "I shot it with my hamaya, and I shot the kugutsu too! I couldn't use my sword because--" Kagome gasped as it hit her. _The sword!_ She scrambled forward and dropped to her knees in front of the perplexed taiyoukai, bowing so low that her nose touched the ground. "The Tenseiga, please, Sesshoumaru-sama, would you use it on Hiei?" she pleaded desperately.

Sesshoumaru's first instinct was to decline her pathetic plea and go back to his home, but the Tenseiga was pulsing insistently at his side. Still, he ignored it and asked, "What reason would this Sesshoumaru have to do such a thing? His pathetic life is no concern of mine."

"Please, Sesshoumaru-sama! I'll do anything! I can purify youkai, I can use healing herbs, I can bring you things from Ningenkai that you can't get here! I'll find a way for you to get back to Ningenkai, if you want! I'll give you anything you want, just please bring him back!"

Sesshoumaru sneered at the pitiful human groveling at his feet. "I have no desire for any of those things. You have nothing to offer this Sesshoumaru." He started to turn away, but then an idea occurred to him. "Perhaps... What would you do if I demanded the jewel? The Shikon no Tama, in return for your lover's life?"

Kagome's heart was screaming at her for her to say yes, to offer up anything at all if it would ease the pain she felt at the staggering loss, but she knew that the jewel was the one thing she could not give. "I can't give that to you," she said. "Even if I could offer it up after Naraku's defeat, that is the one thing I cannot give you. Anything else. Anything at all."

"You want the power for yourself, then," Sesshoumaru said, about to turn away once more.

"You don't understand at all, do you?" Kagome asked with a bitter laugh. "The Shikon no Tama is something that I'd gladly rid myself of completely if I could, but I'm cursed to be its bearer as long as I live. That is my fate, and I can't back down from that responsibility. Kikyou tried to, and look what happened to her."

Sesshoumaru was intrigued. He had no real desire to possess the jewel for himself, but he'd been curious to see how she would react to such a request. _Interesting... The miko says she will give anything in return for this youkai's life, and yet she will not part with the very thing that has cursed her life._ He knew exactly who Hiei was; Sesshoumaru prided himself on always knowing exactly who he dealt with. But this human girl was becoming more and more of an enigma to him. She dressed as a taijiya and called herself a miko, but she had chosen a hybrid youkai, famous throughout Makai as a cold-blooded killer, as a lover. There was no mistaking the fire apparition's distinctive scent all over her.

"Perhaps there is something else you could offer me," Sesshoumaru said, forming a plan in his mind. _Yes, yes. Perhaps this will make up for all the annoyance that ridiculous half-brother has caused me._

"Anything. Anything at all," Kagome said quickly.

"When the jewel is complete and Naraku has been annihilated, you are to accompany me back to my palace."

Kagome blinked, confused. "For how long?"

"For the rest of your life."

"You mean... You mean you want me to..."

"You will rid yourself now of any absurd notions you may harbor about becoming this Sesshoumaru's concubine. I do not suffer from the same weakness that plagues my pathetic half-brother or that abomination who seems to have captured your affections."

"Then why?" Kagome asked, her brow wrinkling in confusion. "Why would you want some silly ningen girl to live with you?"

Sesshoumaru snorted. "You flatter yourself with your poor choice of words. You will not be 'living with' me." He narrowed his eyes, tilting his head to the side to regard the strange girl. "You are most likely the last of the miko. Your bloodlines died out long ago, when there was no longer any need in Ningenkai for the ability to purify. How appropriate it will be for me to have the last of the miko, the guardian of the fabled Shikon no Tama no less, as a pet in my court."

"A...a pet?"

"I grow weary of your incessant questioning. Yes, a pet," he said, deciding that he thoroughly enjoyed the way that term sounded. "You will reside in this Sesshoumaru's palace, remaining in your quarters unless you are called upon to entertain guests. Your life for the hybrid's. That is the deal. Decide now, or I shall take my leave of your annoying presence."

Kagome didn't hesitate to answer. "I'll do it," she said firmly. _My family will get on fine without me, probably better. Sango has Miroku, and Inuyasha's probably going to hell with Kikyou anyway. I have to do this for Hiei. I couldn't bear for him to die because of me._

Sesshoumaru nodded and stepped forward, drawing Tenseiga. The sword pulsed in his hand, and he could see the soul gatherers huddled around the dead youkai's body, chittering to each other as they wrapped their chains around his soul. He sliced through all three of them cleanly and easily, wincing as their dying shrieks assaulted his sensitive ears.

Kagome scurried back to Hiei's side and laid her hand on his chest. She could feel the flesh begin to knit itself together, and when his chest rose under her palm with his first breath, she cried out in joy. "Thank you so much, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

"You will keep your end of the bargain, or you forfeit his life to me. That is the deal."

"Yes, yes, of course," said Kagome dismissively, delighting in the feel of Hiei's pulse under her fingers. _Thank the kami..._ Sesshoumaru turned to leave, having finished all of his business in this place, but Kagome whirled around to face him. "Hey, where are you going? What am I going to do with my friends? They're vulnerable right now!"

Sesshoumaru sighed in exasperation. "Unless I am mistaken, the majin has a method of communicating with his employer." With that curt statement, Sesshoumaru took his regal leave of the overjoyed miko and her unconscious companions.

Kagome fumbled nervously through Yuusuke's pockets, certain that at any moment, he would wake up and make some snide comment about her molesting him in his sleep. She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally found the communication mirror and flipped it open with shaky hands. The mirror automatically turned itself on, and in seconds, Botan's cheery face stared back at Kagome from the communicator.

"Hello, hello, Yuusuke! Have you finally found-- Kagome? What are you doing with Yuusuke's mirror? It's not a makeup compact, you know," Botan said, waggling a finger at the exasperated girl.

"I know that!" Kagome snapped. "I need you to--"

"Well, aren't you just a ripe berry on the grumpy tree today?" Botan huffed.

"Shut up and listen to me! We came under attack last night, and everybody else is out cold! They need medical treatment! You've got to open a portal for me back to Reikai, and you've got to do it _now_!

"All right! All right! Sheesh! Don't get your panties in a--" Kagome flicked the mirror shut, cutting off the rest of Botan's complaint.

"--Knot!" Kagome whirled around to see the ferry girl with her hands on her hips, standing in front of an open portal. Botan's mouth dropped open when she saw the rest of the group lying unconscious on the ground. "Oh, goodness, Kagome! I'm so sorry! I thought you were exaggerating!"

"Just help me get them through the portal, and all is forgiven," said Kagome as she hefted Hiei over her shoulder. She was about to step through the portal when Botan's horrified gasp stopped her in her tracks. "What is it now?" she asked, turning around.

Botan was staring in horror at the spot where Hiei had been lying. She could see the messengers of death, or rather what remained of them, scattered about on the ground. "Kagome," she breathed, "what did you do?"

Kagome sighed and resigned herself to telling Botan the truth. "It wasn't me. Sesshoumaru brought him back for me."

Botan turned to her with wide eyes. "What on earth made him do such a thing? He hasn't used Tenseiga for centuries!"

"I made a deal with him, and that's all you need to know. Don't let anybody know about this. It's better if they don't find out." Leaving Botan to gather her wits about herself, Kagome carried Hiei through the portal, depositing him on the floor of Koenma's office without a word, and then returned through the portal to help retrieve the rest of her friends.

By the time Koenma figured out what was going on and ordered a few of the office personnel to assist them, Kagome and Botan had already dragged the rest of the group through the portal. Kagome refused to talk to Koenma until her friends were all laid out on futons and Reikai's healers had done their best to ensure that all of them would live.

"Now, then," Koenma said, staring intently at the girl who still refused to leave Hiei's side, "tell me what happened."

Kagome wearily told him everything that had happened from the appearance of the karakasa kouso to the confrontation with Naraku's kugutsu, leaving out any mention of Hiei's death or her deal with Sesshoumaru. Koenma, however, wasn't one to be so easily fooled.

"You aren't telling me everything," he accused. "You're leaving out something quite important. What is it?"

"I've told you everything you need to know," Kagome said with an irritated scowl. "If you'll excuse me, Koenma-sama, I'm going to cleanse myself and then I really need to sleep." Understanding that he wouldn't get anything more out of the miko, Koenma nodded and waited until she left the room before turning to Botan, who was trying to sneak out the door unnoticed.

"Botan, tell me what's going on. You know what she isn't telling me."

Botan sighed and weighed her options. _Which is worse? Kagome's wrath, or Koenma's?_ Her shoulders slumped as she came to a decision. _Better the devil you know, as they say._

"You promise not to tell her that I told you?" she asked.

"Absolutely not! You're my employee! You're in no position to make demands of me. Now _tell_ me what happened that she doesn't want me to know about."

Botan groaned. _She is so going to kill me for this._

_Edited 17 May 2005_


	16. Jagan

**Paradox**  


by Somnambulicious

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer**:  
I don't own either  
_Inuyasha_ or _YuuYuu_;  
Somebody else does.

**Note**: This chapter has been edited for adult content. The original version is available at Mediaminer and Adultfanfiction.

* * *

**Chapter 16**:** Jagan**

Something tugged at the edge of Kagome's mind, calling her to consciousness despite her best efforts to remain asleep. In her half-wakened state, she knew there was a reason she didn't want to wake up, and she really didn't feel like prying into it. But like all unwanted thoughts are wont to do, the recent memories of her encounter with Naraku's kugutsu and her hasty promise to Sesshoumaru rose to the forefront of Kagome's mind, and she silently cursed whatever kami had thought to play this cosmic joke on her. _Stupid kami and their stupid sense of humor._

She'd returned from her shower that morning with a damp rag and a towel, determined to clean every last trace of Hiei's blood off of his body. His blood-spattered headband had to be removed, and the shirt had to be cut off of him. Kagome found herself grateful that Hiei hadn't been wearing the long, black cloak that she'd grown so fond of. It wasn't until the last of the blood was cleaned from his chest that Kagome had noticed the pale lavender of the Jagan eye regarding her actions curiously. _How interesting,_ she'd thought to herself. _The Jagan is awake, but Hiei isn't._ After ridding herself of the evidence of Hiei's temporary death, Kagome had curled up next to him and quickly fallen asleep.

Resigning herself to the fact that she wouldn't get any more sleep right now, Kagome sat up and stretched, frowning as the soreness in her muscles provided yet another reminder of the previous night's events. The small room was fairly wall-to-wall with futons, and Kagome could see that she was the only one awake. _It's going to take some time for them to recover,_ she thought, remembering Sango's last encounter with shouki and the week she'd spent in bed.

Hiei was lying on his back next to her, half-covered by a stark white sheet. A slight smile graced Kagome's lips as her eyes lingered on his face, realizing for the first time just how young he looked. She traced the pads of her fingers over his hand, gazing down at the deceptively delicate-looking and fine-boned fingers that could take a life in a heartbeat, whether with flame or steel or his own immeasurable strength. Goosebumps prickled the back of her neck as she trailed her hand lightly up his bandaged arm, feeling the restlessness of the dragon that was bound beneath the cloth.

_He's so beautiful like this,_ she thought. Having never seen him asleep before, she was struck with the novelty of the sight: the dreaded Forbidden Child, completely unguarded and relaxed. _So vulnerable._ Unbidden, the thought danced through Kagome's mind that she could probably kill him right now with no trouble at all, with just a single flick of the blade strapped to her right forearm. She shook her head to rid herself of the disturbing thought, and instead focused on just how good he looked without a shirt on. The rosary beads around his neck were an oddly appropriate touch, standing out conspicuously against the paleness of his skin.

"Good morning," she said softly when she saw the Jagan slowly open, forgetting for the moment that it was probably afternoon by now. Hiei's chest continued to rise and fall rhythmically. "We'll let him sleep a bit longer, okay?" Her right hand reached out seemingly of its own accord, hovering for a moment over Hiei's forehead before she gingerly ran a light fingertip over the crease of the Jagan's upper eyelid, giggling when the lid drifted half-closed. "Oh, so you like that, do you?" She caressed the lower lid with the pad of her thumb, and the eye seemed to unfocus, reveling in her gentle touch.

"Stop that." Kagome jumped at Hiei's stern voice and yanked her hand back. He opened his eyes, turning his head to the side to narrow a disapproving glare at Kagome. "It is entirely too infatuated with you for my comfort."

"Oh, you think so?" Kagome asked, her eyes twinkling mischievously. She cocked her head to the side, a slight grin tugging at her lips. "What, are you jealous? If I'd known the Jagan was male, I would have refrained from such a physical display of affection."

Hiei groaned and rubbed his temples. _**'I just woke from my first hibernation in months. Surely you can refrain from your childish antics for a while longer.'**_

"Are you saying you don't enjoy my witty repartee?" Kagome asked, stiffening in mock indignation. Hiei rolled his eyes. She obviously wasn't taking him seriously enough.

_**'You don't want to hear my answer to that right now. But no, I am not jealous. I am still unsure why the Jagan has shown such an interest in you, and I would be a fool to trust it.'**_ He rose fluidly into a seated position, grimacing at the taste of sleep that still lingered in his mouth. He'd never get accustomed to it, what with the infrequency with which he hibernated. _**'Now tell me what happened. The last thing I can recall is shouki filling the air.'**_

"You were all unconscious, everyone except for me. I killed the detachment with a hamaya, and then I carried you all up to higher ground. I contacted Botan with Yuusuke's communicator, and now we're all here." Hiei frowned. Kagome's eyes flitted around the room as she spoke, never coming to rest in one spot. She wasn't telling him everything. Hiei grasped her chin firmly and turned her head toward him, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"That isn't all."

Kagome tried to look away, but found herself softening at the disappointment in his eyes. "After I got everyone to higher ground, I was completely exhausted, and Naraku's kugutsu caught me unprepared." Hiei's eyes widened fractionally in surprise, and Kagome continued. "He threatened to kill you all, and then I shot the kugutsu with another hamaya."

Hiei wasn't satisfied with such a short explanation. Something didn't quite add up, but he couldn't place a finger on exactly what it was. "You are still leaving something out," he accused. Kagome broke away from his hand, scowling as she folded her arms over her chest.

"I'm not going to give you a word-for-word replay of everything, if that's what you're expecting," she snapped. "I really don't want to think about it right now. It wasn't the most pleasant experience of my life." She shuddered involuntarily as the memory of Hiei's death replayed itself in her mind. The sight of his lifeless eyes, the blood trickling down his chin, would remain forever ingrained in her memory: another life almost lost because of her mistakes. She tucked her legs up against her chest, resting her chin on her knees. Her yukata parted slightly, allowing Hiei to catch a glimpse of the bandages on her legs.

"You are injured," he said angrily, lifting the cloth of her yukata so he could get a better look. Both knees were wrapped. "Did he do this to you?"

Kagome blushed prettily and swatted his hand away. "No, I fell a few times while I was carrying you guys out of the shouki. It's just a couple of skinned knees and a cut on my hip. Nothing to worry about." She shook her head and took a look around the room. "They're going to be out of it for a long time," she said sadly. "It might be a week before we can resume our search."

_**'Nonsense,'**_ said Hiei with a dismissive wave of his hand. _**'I was exposed to the same poison, and I feel remarkably well. This won't set us back more than a day.'**_

Kagome frowned, trying to figure out how to explain Hiei's good health without telling him the truth. "You were at the edge of the shouki cloud, and I got you out of the gully first," she said, gently resting a hand on his thigh in an effort to distract him enough so he wouldn't notice that she was lying. "The others were exposed for longer to a higher concentration of the poison. I don't think they'll be in any shape to get up anytime soon."

The smirk that crossed Hiei's face betrayed exactly what he thought of the situation. Of course, it was terrible that everyone was injured, and that their search for the hanyou would be delayed. Tragic, really. What a pity. But he was in good health, and Kagome didn't seem to be too worse for wear. Now, if he could just think of a way to take advantage of the situation... He scanned the room and noticed that the group's backpacks seemed to be missing. _Perfect._

"Where are the packs?" he asked innocently, hoping that in her haste, Kagome had forgotten to retrieve them. He had to quash a wicked grin at Kagome's horrified gasp.

"Oh, no! I left them all back in Makai, and Hiraikotsu too!" She jumped to her feet and grabbed her wakizashi with one hand, and Hiei's hand with the other, dragging him out the door. "We've got to go back and get them! Oh, kami, if something happened to Hiraikotsu, Sango would kill me for sure!" Hiei fell into step next to Kagome as she rushed down the hallway, searching frantically for Botan. Yes, this was working out quite nicely.

Koenma nearly choked on his onigiri when Kagome burst into his office, ranting loudly about a flying bone and dull knives. He pounded on his chest in an effort to clear his throat.

"--and who knows what could have come across out stuff while we were gone! Sango is going to absolutely--"

"Ahem."

Kagome, surprisingly enough, quieted for a moment when Koenma cleared his throat, and turned her best imitation of Shippou's puppy dog eyes on him. "So pleeeease, Koenma-sama, can I get a portal to Makai so I can go and get our stuff?"

"I don't think that would be a good idea," Koenma said with a frown, brushing a few stray grains of rice off of his shirt. "If you were attacked while you were retrieving--"

"Hiei's coming with me!" Kagome yanked on the fire apparition's bare arm so that he stood next to her. "Right?" she growled between gritted teeth, leaving absolutely no room for argument.

Hiei rolled his eyes. "Hn. I have no desire to remain in this realm any longer than absolutely necessary."

"Are you sure you're feeling up to that, Hiei?" Koenma asked skeptically. Hiei looked away and snorted. Of course he was feeling up to it. Koenma turned his eyes back to the miko, who was hopping from one foot to the other while she clasped her hands together. "Very well, then. I have no desire to give Yuusuke access to our platinum card again. I'll let you go retrieve your supplies, but on one condition."

Kagome gave a delighted squeal. "Anything!"

"I need to talk to you. Alone." Kagome immediately stopped jumping up and down. She had a feeling she knew what this was about.

"All right, but you'd better make it quick. Sango has this slow-working poison, and--"

"It won't take long, I assure you," Koenma said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Hiei, you may wait in the hall. Perhaps you'd like to find a shirt while I speak with Kagome." Hiei glanced down at his chest, realizing for the first time that he was bare to the waist.

**_'What exactly happened to my shirt? And my headband, for that matter?'_** he asked Kagome as he turned to leave the room. Kagome blushed.

_'It got all torn up when I dragged you out of the gully. I had to cut it off of you. The headband must have fallen off in all the commotion.'_ Hiei turned and raised an eyebrow suspiciously before he shut the door behind him. He suspected that she was lying, but figured that the girl just didn't want to reveal her true motives for removing his shirt. With a smirk that was all masculine pride, Hiei leaned up against the wall and waited for Kagome to come out. If she really wanted him to run around shirtless that bad, well, who was he to argue?

"You may have a seat," Koenma said as he leaned back in his own chair. Kagome shook her head.

"I think I'll just stand."

"Your choice," Koenma said with a shrug. "Botan told me what she saw back in Makai. I want you to tell me exactly what you had to promise Sesshoumaru in order to convince him to use the Tenseiga on Hiei."

Kagome frowned. She really shouldn't have trusted Botan not to tell, but she hadn't had a choice. "What makes you think I had to promise him anything?" she asked innocently, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "Maybe he did it out of the goodness of his own heart."

Koenma barked out a laugh. "That stubborn old taiyoukai doesn't do anything for anyone without demanding something of equal value in return. Now tell me what that was. If you promised to give him the jewel--"

"I did no such thing!" Kagome said indignantly. "He asked for it, but I told him that was the only thing I couldn't give him."

"Ah, so you did promise him something in return. Now what was it?" Kagome scowled and shifted her feet, refusing to meet Koenma's gaze. He'd tricked her entirely too easily.

"It's no concern of yours," she finally said. "It's nothing anybody else has to worry about."

"I think I'll decide that for myself, if you don't mind. Anything that concerns you concerns me. The fate of the three worlds may very well hang in the balance, and with the responsibilities on your shoulders right now, I have to know what you promised him. Tell me."

Kagome's shoulders sagged in defeat. "It won't matter at all until after Naraku's defeated and the jewel is complete. He says that after it's all over, I'm to return to his estate in Makai and stay there as his..." She trailed off, and Koenma leaned forward, gesturing for her to continue. "As his pet," she mumbled under her breath.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm going to be a pet miko to that egotistical jerk for the rest of my life, okay? Happy?" Kagome shouted. Her eyes burned with the unshed tears that she refused to cry. "He said it was a life for a life, and that was the only way he'd agree to revive Hiei. I had to do it."

Koenma was absolutely astonished. He had suspected that the miko harbored a fondness for the fire apparition, but he had no idea that her affections ran this deep. "Why would you promise such a thing? Hiei's death was tragic, but it was through no fault of yours. Do you realize what you've done?"

"I knew exactly what I was doing, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat." Kagome's voice trembled, but her eyes were full of a determination and confidence that made her seem far older than her seventeen years. "His death was entirely my fault, and I couldn't bear to live with the death of a dear friend on my conscience."

"Just a dear friend?" Koenma asked. If his suspicions were correct, there was far more to Kagome's relationship with Hiei than simple friendship. Kagome stiffened and lowered her eyes.

"No," she admitted in a whisper. "Not just a dear friend." Koenma leaned back in his chair and hooked his hands behind his head, considering for a moment just how strange this girl was. Here she was, guardian of the Shikon no Tama and quite possibly falling in love with a hardened youkai criminal, and she had just signed her life away to allay the guilt that she felt over his passing, ensuring that she might never see the object of her affections again. He shook his head and heaved a sigh. If the poor girl wasn't already indebted to Sesshoumaru, he'd probably have offered her a job on the spot. Reikai needed such selfless employees who would so gladly sacrifice their own lives and happiness for the good of others.

"I wish I could tell you that I'm in a position to reverse this somehow, but I'm afraid I have no such authority. You're going to have to hold up to your end of the bargain."

Kagome nodded. "I understand that. I don't expect anyone to save me from my own decisions. I'm not going to back down. But you have to promise me that you won't tell any of the others. They'll just try to keep me from going, and we don't need any more fights with Sesshoumaru." Koenma nodded. He could respect that.

"Very well, then." He leaned forward and punched the com button on his desk. "Botan? I need you to open a portal to Makai for Hiei and Kagome now, back to the place where you found them. They're going to retrieve some things."

The door to the office opened, and Botan skipped in cheerfully, followed by a less enthusiastic Hiei, who'd been forced to spend an whole three minutes alone in her overly cheerful company. He shuddered. _Oh, the horror._

"Okay, then!" Botan chirped merrily. "Are you two ready to go?"

"Can you wait just a few minutes?" asked Kagome. "I'm only wearing my yukata, and Hiei still needs to get a--"

"We will leave now," Hiei said firmly, cutting Kagome off.

"But--"

"**Now**." Hiei turned his most threatening glare on Botan, who jumped and quickly opened a portal. She was more than happy to get away from Kagome, who thankfully hadn't yet yelled at Botan for betraying her confidence. Koenma tossed Kagome a communication mirror so that she could let them know when they were ready to return; from the eager look in Hiei's eyes, he had a feeling it would be a while. Ignoring Kagome's protests, Hiei strode forward and pulled the girl through the portal with him.

When she'd closed the portal, Botan turned to Koenma. "Did she tell you?" Koenma nodded, but remained silent. After a few moments, Botan's curiosity got the best of her. "Well? What was it?" she demanded.

"It's out of our hands now. All we can do is wish her the best of luck."

* * *

"What do you think you're doing?" Kagome shouted after the portal closed behind her. "Neither of us is dressed for--" Hiei clamped his hand over her mouth and pulled her down into a crouch. _'What--'_

_**'There are three youkai in the gully,'**_ he informed her quickly. He paused for a moment, and Kagome could see the Jagan glow briefly. _**'The fools are bickering over how best to divide your belongings. It seems that the taijiya's weapon is a major point of contention.'**_ Kagome nodded and grasped the hilt of her wakizashi, preparing to draw the blade, but Hiei covered her hand with his own and shook his head. _**'You are injured and far too exhausted to fight now. I will dispose of them.'**_

Kagome started to protest, but changed her mind when she realized that she'd only seen Hiei fight once, and that hadn't been much of a fight at all. _'As long as you let me watch, I'll stay out of the action,'_ Kagome said.

Feeling his ego kick up yet another notch, Hiei drew his own katana. _**'Of course.'**_ Hiei mentally chuckled. This was going to be entirely too much fun. He crouched in front of Kagome, motioning silently for her to get on his back. Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck and held back a giddy squeal when he leaped into the air, landing down in the bottom of the small gully about ten meters away from the quarreling youkai.

Silently sliding off of Hiei's back, Kagome quickly assessed the situation. The would-be thieves had yet to notice their arrival. Two of them were of a nondescript ogre-type, standing about two meters tall. One was a sickly shade of greenish yellow, with a single eye in the center of his brow and three short horns, one of which was broken off at the tip. He was barefoot, wearing tattered brown slacks and no shirt. The second ogre had mottled grey skin, with a crown of tiny, sharp horns that circled his head. He wore a shapeless brown robe and mismatched boots, and Kagome winced when he flashed a mouthful of crooked yellow teeth. _Ugh. They really need some orthodontists around here._ The yellow one gesticulated wildly at Hiraikotsu, arguing that it would be far more profitable to sell it and divide the money rather than keep it.

It was the third youkai, standing quietly in the background covered head to toe in a black hooded cape, who first noticed the two newest arrivals on the scene. She regarded them silently for a moment. The diminutive, bare-chested youkai bearing a drawn katana and practically radiating _threat_ was interesting enough, but it was the female standing silently behind him that really caught her attention. Her unbound hair floated about in the light breeze, and her right hand occasionally twitched toward the hilt of the wakizashi at her side, but she made no move to draw it, instead watching the scene before her with eyes lit up with anticipation. The youkai felt a sort of kinship with this fellow female warrior; she'd come across so very few in her travels as a bandit. But that didn't mean that she'd give up her spoils without a fight.

The black-shrouded youkai snapped her fingers twice, silencing her two companions. "It would seem that we have company," she said, amusement coloring her voice. The grey-skinned male stooped down to retrieve a large double-headed axe, his wary eyes never leaving Hiei, and the yellow-skinned one drew the katana at his waist.

Kagome reluctantly decided that they should at least give the bandits an opportunity to leave without a fight. "I thank you for watching over our belongings while we were called away," she said with a slight bow. "We'll just retrieve our things and be on our way." Hiei glanced back and scowled at the girl; really, she was entirely too nice for her own good.

"What the hell makes you think we're just gonna give it to you?" asked the grey-skinned youkai. "We found it fair and square. You shouldn't have left it unprotected if you didn't want to lose it."

Kagome groaned. Why couldn't she come across one nice youkai in Makai? Just one? "I wasn't given much of a choice in the matter. If you know what's best for you, you'll lower your weapons and leave us immediately. My companion here is not nearly as patient as I am. Leave now if you value your lives."

The two males glanced back at their leader questioningly. Her smile was hidden from view by the hood of her cloak, but the rich, deep laughter that filled the air left no doubt about what she thought of Kagome's threat. "Very well, then. I could use some entertainment. Boys, you can ghost the male. Leave the female for me."

"You're the boss," the yellow one said with a casual shrug. He made to lunge forward, but stopped short when Hiei disappeared. "What the--"

All Kagome could see was a black blur and a flash of steel, and then Hiei was standing behind the yellow youkai with one hand in his pocket, his back turned to his would-be opponent. The youkai stopped speaking mid-sentence and stared down in shock at blood pooling around his feet, before he suddenly collapsed in a pile of neatly severed body parts. Kagome mentally calculated how many strikes Hiei must have made to have such an effect, and her jaw dropped open in amazement when she settled on a number. _Eighteen!_

"Great job, Hiei!" Kagome cheered. "If you keep that up, we'll be out of here in no time!" Apparently, the grey-skinned youkai was less than amused. He turned and snarled at the blue-haired girl, -- _How dare she imply that I will be such an easy kill!_ -- brandishing the battle axe at her. In a flash, Hiei was standing between the two of them, his katana leveled at the ogre.

"Your fight is with me," Hiei said, his voice cold and emotionless.

"If you're so eager to die, little man, then I won't disappoint you!" He raised the axe over his head and swung it down with both hands. When the head of the axe struck the earth, there was a blinding flash of light, and a streak of lightning snaked out over the ground, cleaving the earth as it went. Hiei dodged with no trouble at all, glancing back to see Kagome sprint to safety. His opponent freed his axe from the earth with a grunt.

"That's just a taste of what I can do! You won't find it so easy to dodge at close quarters!" Hiei shook his head slowly. Really, what was it about holding an axe that made youkai overconfident? And this fool didn't even have a Battle Aura to back it up.

"Amazing. Your lack of intelligence is far exceeded by your lack of skill with that axe. Tell me, how long had its previous owner been dead before you stumbled across his corpse and stole his weapon?"

"Just- Just shut up!" The youkai started to raise his axe again, but suddenly found that he couldn't move his arms. "What the fuck?" He looked down incredulously to see three glowing bands wrapped tightly around him. The youkai struggled fruitlessly against the bonds as he was lifted into the air. He looked back up to see the Jagan eye glowing red in Hiei's forehead. "You little freak! Let me down!"

"It would be incredibly easy to kill you right now, but that would hardly be sporting, and I believe my companion is expecting a better show than that." The bonds dissolved, and the grey-skinned youkai dropped to the ground with a yelp. "Now I expect you to put up a decent fight. If you make me disappoint her, I will be forced to draw out your torture. Fight well, and your death shall be quicker and far less painful."

The ogre growled low in his throat and charged, cleaving the air where Hiei had been standing. He whirled around to find the shorter youkai standing behind him with his eyes closed, his hands clasped behind his back. The grey-skinned youkai swung again and again, his frustration growing more out of control each time Hiei simply side-stepped the blows, never once opening his eyes.

"Coward!" the youkai shouted. "Why won't you fight back?" By this time, the ground was almost completely ripped up, and Kagome found herself thankful that the thieves had piled all of her friends' belongings off to the side.

Hiei easily dodged another swing of the axe and opened one eye, tilting his head to the side. "Idiot," he said, his tone practically dripping with condescension, "are you really that eager to hasten your own death?" He nimbly ducked under the ogre's claws. "This is starting to get boring."

"Then draw your weapon! Stand and fight!"

"I don't need a sword to defeat the likes of you," said Hiei. The grey-skinned ogre swung his axe downward once more, and Hiei leapt back and to the side to avoid the strike, skidding to a halt a few meters away. "_Jaou Ensatsu...Rengoku Shou_!" At Hiei's shout, Kagome was shocked to see a burst of orange flames surround each of his fists. He flexed his arms once, curling his lip up in a smirk at the fool who dared to attack him.

Hiei had to force himself to slow down enough for Kagome to see his attack, but even so, he was still too quick for the ogre. He streaked forward, past the axe that was still embedded in the ground, and sent a volley of straight punches to his opponent's chest, feeling the sternum snap against his right fist on the fifth blow. Two already-broken ribs pierced the ogre's right lung on the sixteenth punch, and the ogre's body was wracked by a violent coughing fit as his lungs filled with blood. At this point, death was only a matter of time.

Deciding that it was finally time for the mercy blow, Hiei snapped his right fist up in a quick but vicious uppercut to the chin, snapping his opponent's neck in a single blow. The lifeless ogre toppled to the ground, and Hiei landed gracefully next to the corpse. His fists had completely burned away the front part of the ogre's robe, leaving the creature's blackened, completely collapsed upper body open to view.

_'You might want to be more careful with the last one. Something tells me she's a lot stronger than the other two.'_ Kagome's mental voice was laced with concern as she warily regarded the third and final bandit, who hadn't moved a muscle during the entire fight. She couldn't see the youkai's eyes, but Kagome couldn't shake the feeling that the last bandit was staring at her.

The hooded youkai stepped forward. "I would say that was well done," she said, her voice low and sensuous, "but those two probably could've been beaten by a blind and armless kodama. As much as I'd like to see your male in a true fight, I'm far more interested in you, my dear." She lifted her gloved hands and slowly pulled back the hood of her cloak before she shrugged it off altogether, and Kagome found herself returning the stare of one of the most beautiful creatures she'd ever seen.

She had to be at least two and a half meters tall, with pearlescent, scaled skin that seemed to ripple as she moved. A full mane of silver hair cascaded over her shoulders all the way down to her knees. She was clad in only an ankle-length, filmy green circle skirt and a silver plate of armor that covered her chest and abdomen. As she seemed to glide forward, studying her opponents with steely blue eyes, Kagome could see the triangular tip of a tail swishing back and forth beneath the skirt. Her face was a paragon of aristocratic perfection, all clean lines and high cheekbones, and Kagome's eyes trailed down the slender column of her neck to rest on the circlet of black fangs that rested against the youkai's collarbone. Kagome shook herself out of her stupor when she finally noticed a pair of swords hanging at the youkai's hip, a wakizashi and a katana.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the youkai said with a mocking bow. "I am Izumi of the Water Serpents."

"You lie," Hiei accused. "That kind are far too busy lording themselves over the sea-bound youkai to risk sullying their imperial manicures with such lowlifes as these," he said, gesturing to what remained of the two ogres.

Izumi shrugged, the light glistening off her scaled shoulders in a rainbow of pastels. "It matters not whether you believe me, little firefly. As I stated earlier, I am far more interested in your female companion." She circled Kagome slowly, trailing her eyes over the miko's body in a way that left Kagome feeling like a horse at an auction. "There are so few female warriors these days. Tell me, airashii-chan, what of your lineage? I cannot seem to place your particular type, nor can I sense your youki."

Kagome shivered under the intense gaze of the serpent youkai. _'What do I tell her?'_ she asked Hiei, her mental voice rising in panic.

"That is no concern of yours," Hiei snapped. "Your fight is with me."

Izumi ignored Hiei and locked her gaze on Kagome's crimson eyes. "Your bearing and musculature show your potential as a warrior, airashii-chan, but since I cannot feel your youki, I remain curious about your true abilities. I will fight you in one-on-one combat, and first blood chooses her own prize. You, no doubt, will decide to take your belongings, but I can assure you that my prize will be far more interesting. You may not want to delay the inevitable and instead allow me to draw first blood without a fight at all. I'm certain you'd find losing infinitely more rewarding than winning in the end."

"Why is that?" Kagome asked, struggling to keep her voice from quavering.

"I seem to have lost the last of my pathetic band of thieves today, and I am in sore need of replacements. You, my dear, shall have the privilege of being my second in command. Even the weakest of fighters would be superior to the thugs your companion just killed. We'll have to get you some more appropriate clothing, of course," she said, eyeing Kagome's patched yukata with distaste, "but I'm afraid even that would fail to rid you of the stench of that male you choose to associate with. A pity. Perhaps sharing my bed would be a quicker solution. I'm certain you will find the experience pleasurable."

Kagome gaped at the beautiful youkai. _Is she...is she actually coming on to me?_ Hiei, meanwhile, had just about run out of patience. It was insulting enough for the female to dismiss him completely, but the way she was looking at Kagome was unforgiveable. Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin when Hiei seemed to materialize in front of her, blocking her from Izumi's gaze.

"I told you your fight is with me. Touch her and be assured of a long and painful death." Izumi frowned at the short youkai who was so rudely blocking her view.

"I still await her answer, little firefly. This is a matter between females, of no concern to you."

Luckily, Kagome had finally found her voice. "I'm going to have to say no. I promised my companion here that he could fight the three of you, and I won't go back on my word to him." _And I seriously doubt that I could beat you,_ she added silently.

Izumi, however, wasn't about to give up. "No matter. I'll just dispose of this male who dares to stand in my way, and then we can fight to our hearts' content." Kagome slowly backed away as Izumi drew her two blades and dropped into a fighting stance.

Hiei unsheathed his own katana; while the water youkai's youki attacks would probably be limited here on the parched plains of Makai, she could no doubt summon enough water from her own body to douse the mortal flames of his Jaou Ensatsu Rengoku Shou. With the amount of youki he could sense from her, Hiei knew he couldn't afford to take this opponent lightly. He didn't wait for her to attack.

Hiei started at half-speed, aiming a horizontal slice at Izumi's throat that was designed more to gauge her abilities than to immediately kill. She parried the blow easily with the katana in her right hand, and Hiei had to put some effort into dodging a quick stab from the wakizashi in her left. He ducked around behind her and struck faster this time, only to be simultaneously blocked and attacked again.

Soon a pattern arose in their artful dance of swordplay: Hiei increased his speed with each blow, and Izumi flawlessly matched it every time. In less than two minutes, all Kagome could make out was two blurs of black and white flitting up and down the gully, pausing occasionally for a split second before they became too fast for her human eyes to see once more.

"You seem surprised to meet an opponent who can match your speed," Izumi said as she ducked under Hiei's katana, striking out with her own but finding no purchase on her opponent.

Hiei didn't reply to her taunt. He was actually having to concentrate on not getting killed in a swordfight, something that he couldn't recall ever happening before. Any youkai as fast and as skilled as Izumi was a force to be reckoned with, but her added skill with the second blade was coming close to putting him at a disadvantage, a situation Hiei was not at all comfortable with. He couldn't afford to play around. This was going to have to end quickly.

Hiei made up his mind when she managed to nick the cuff of his pants with her wakizashi. She was entirely too dangerous to fool around with. Leaping high into the air, Hiei fed his youki into the hilt of his sword and summoned up the blackest flames of the Makai with a shout of, "_Jaou Ensatsu Ken_!"

Izumi's eyes widened in shock when she felt the heat of the flames even from a distance, flames that her waters could not hope to quench. He was dropping too quickly for her to completely dodge, so she attempted a block with her katana and twisted to the right, praying that she was wrong about that fire.

Her prayers went unanswered. Hiei's flame-shrouded katana sliced through the steel like a hot knife through butter, and Izumi thanked whatever kami were out there that she'd at least managed to twist out of the katana's path. She tossed the wakizashi to her right hand and stood her ground, waiting for his next attack. He had put her completely on the defensive, and all she could do was hope that she'd manage to find an opening in his defense before he cleaved her in two.

Hiei lunged forward and swept the sword down in a diagonal arc, forcing his opponent to take to the air in order to avoid certain death. Izumi couldn't execute an attack from her position, but just as she began her descent back to the earth, the red glow of the Jagan caught her eye, and she finally realized how she could beat this opponent.

With a solid plan now in mind, Izumi charged forward to meet Hiei's attack halfway. She ducked under his sword at the last second and flicked her left wrist upward, shooting a wide stream of saltwater directly into Hiei's face.

The distraction only lasted for a split second, but it was all the time she needed. Her wakizashi flashed once as Hiei leaped backward. He'd managed to avoid a killing blow, but the damage was done. The black flames of the Jaou Ensatsu Ken immediately evaporated.

The Jagan was injured.

Kagome watched in horror as Hiei dropped to his knees, clutching his head as he cried out in pain. The slice was shallow, and no longer than a couple of centimeters, but the shrieks of the Jagan filled his mind and drowned out every other sensation. He didn't see Izumi stride forward with a confident smirk on her face, lifting her wakizashi for one final sweep that would end the fight for good.

But the Jagan felt the approaching youki of the one who had the audacity to attack it, and just as Izumi began the downward arc that would have ended Hiei's life, the Jagan unleashed a flood of raw youki that struck her dead center in the chest. Izumi's mind didn't have time to register what had happened before she was slammed into the wall of the gully and knocked unconscious. Her skin seemed to ripple and twist before she dissolved into a clear, viscous puddle that seeped into a crack in the earth and disappeared from view.

Kagome rushed to Hiei's side, terrified that she was going to lose him for good this time. His body shuddered beneath her hands as he fought to regain control of his mind. Kagome reached into her pocket and pulled out the communication mirror.

"We've got to get you back to Reikai," she said, her voice trembling. "The healers there will--"

"No!" Hiei's hand struck out blindly, knocking the mirror out of Kagome's grasp and sending it flying.

"But you're injured! We've got to--"

"No." Hiei panted and lifted his head to look Kagome straight in the eye. It took a great deal of effort for him to speak. "You will do it. You will heal it."

"But-- But I've never done anything like that!" Kagome stammered. "I don't know how! And my power, it will purify the--"

"You are a miko. You were born with the power to heal." Hiei lifted his hand and clutched at her shoulder. His words were slow and deliberate. "You must suppress the purifying power and use only your reiki."

"But I don't know how!" Kagome cried. "I have no idea what you're talking about! Reikai's healers are much more experienced, and they can--"

"They will not do it."

Kagome's brow furrowed, the confusion written all over her face. "Of course they will! They healed Kurama and Inuyasha, so why wouldn't they--"

"They will not touch the Jagan. I am certain. They are too afraid of its powers."

Kagome tried to shrink back away from him, but his grip on her shoulder never wavered. "I'm not trained that way, and if I accidentally killed you--"

"Drop your mental barrier. Let the Jagan into your mind. It will guide you and take what it needs to heal." His slid his shaking hand to the back of her neck and peeled off the ofuda that blocked Kagome's powers, ignoring the angry spark of holy energy that burned his hand. "You must do this now before I completely lose control. You will not kill me. I trust you."

Kagome's protests completely died when those last few words passed his lips. She had the presence of mind to single out her memories of Hiei's death and her promise to Sesshoumaru, pushing those thoughts into the back of her mind and forming a secondary barrier around them before she dropped her primary mental defenses and waited for the Jagan to take over.

Even through the haze of its blinding pain, the Jagan recognized the sudden flare of the powerful ki it had been pursuing for weeks. Kagome tensed and squeezed her eyes shut at the sudden intrusion of a foreign entity into her mind, forcibly pushing back the instinctual urge to shove it away. Memories of her terrifying ordeal under Tsubaki's control flashed before her eyes, but Kagome reminded herself that this was different, that she had to let the Jagan access her powers if she wanted to heal Hiei. She completely relaxed her mind and body, slumping forward to rest her head on Hiei's thigh.

The Jagan was instantly aware of the small corner of her mind that remained inaccessible to it, but focused on the more immediate task at hand. The sheer amount of raw power coursing through this girl's body was even greater than it had suspected, a whirling mixture of reiki and something akin to sei kou ki. The blue sei kou ki-like energy flared and burned when the Jagan tried to pull at it, so the eye instead sought out a tendril of reiki and tugged, separating enough of the energy to heal its own wound.

Kagome felt her hand jerk upward, her forefinger coming to rest directly on the smooth, moist surface of the open Jagan. For the first time, she recognized the duality of the power within her as, in her mind's eye, a thread of pink energy, separate from the pulsing blue, snaked up her arm and into her fingers. She gasped when she felt the tingling energy jump from her finger to the Jagan, flaring briefly before her arm dropped bonelessly to her side.

The unbearable pain vanished in an instant, and Hiei shook his head to clear the fog from his mind. The Jagan was still coursing through Kagome's mind, practically humming as it seeped into every last pore. Hiei shuddered at the sheer amount of pleasure the Jagan was broadcasting to him, feeling the pure, unadulterated delight that the Jagan found in exploring the vast foreign territory of this strange creature's immeasurable soul. The eye found something at the very core of her being, a pulsating energy unlike anything it had encountered before, and zeroed in on it, wrapping itself around this new sensation.

Hiei knew he couldn't let this go on any longer. If he allowed the Jagan any more access to Kagome, he might never get it to let go. With a feral snarl, Hiei reached out with his own youki and pulled the Jagan back, ignoring its pitiful whimpering as he forcibly ripped it away from Kagome.

"Put...your barrier...back up," Hiei growled. He breathed a sigh of relief when he sensed the walls around her mind rise once more, shielding her from the grasping youki of the Jagan. But he grew worried when she continued to remain unresponsive, limp as a rag doll with her head in his lap.

_**'Kagome,'**_ he called out to her, sliding his hand under her head and turning her face toward him.

"Mmm?" Kagome's eyes fluttered open, and she grinned lazily up at Hiei. "Hey. That-- That was just...incredible," she murmured, her words slow and slurred. Hiei's eyes widened as she lifted her hands to entwine her fingers in his hair, tugging slightly downward so that she could press a feather-light kiss to his forehead.

_**'Rest assured, it will not be happening again.**_'

"Huh? Why not?" Kagome asked, struggling to sit up. Hiei gently pulled her into his lap and tucked her head under his chin. He ignored her question for a moment and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling deeply and thoroughly enjoying the fact that he could now smell her properly. "Hey! I asked you a question!"

_**'It does not want to let go of you. The Jagan has never experienced a mind like yours before, and there's something there that it wants to use. I do not trust it.'**_ Pulling the girl tighter to his chest, Hiei realized just how unique a creature she was. He could search the three worlds a thousand times over and never find another like her. She had willingly allowed the Jagan into her mind in spite of the horrible memories of the kuromiko's invasion that were still fresh and painful to her. He needed time to process everything that the Jagan had shown him, but he was certain that this girl...this girl was special indeed, unlike any other.

Kagome splayed her hands over Hiei's bare chest as she replayed the fight in her mind. _I almost lost him again,_ she thought, remembering just how close Izumi's final strike had been. _If he hadn't retreated at the last second..._ Kagome shivered. The greater threat of Naraku loomed before them, inescapable and deadly dangerous. She could very well lose her own life in the upcoming battle, and even if they were victorious, her debt to Sesshoumaru remained. For the first time, Kagome understood exactly how Miroku felt. She lifted her head and paused for a moment before leaning forward to brush her lips lightly over Hiei's mouth.

The kiss was tentative, searching at first, but quickly grew in intensity as Kagome's hands drifted over Hiei's shoulders and down the muscled expanse of his back. Hiei responded in kind, maneuvering the girl in his lap until she straddled his hips, her legs wrapped tightly around his back. One hand fisted into the hair at the nape of her neck, tilting her head to deepen the kiss and slip the warmth of his tongue past her lightly parted lips, while the other slid under her yukata and brushed against the soft skin of her thigh.

"H-Hiei," she breathed as he gripped her hips and pressed his arousal up against her center. "Is this-- Are we-- Now?"

_**'This is what you want.'**_ Kagome shivered at the absolute conviction in his mental voice. _**'This is what you need.'**_

Kagome wasn't in any condition to argue with that.

* * *

Kagome winced as she struggled to sit up.

_**'Don't exert yourself too much.'**_ There was no mistaking the amusement that danced in Hiei's eyes, or the conceited smirk that tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Kagome rolled her eyes and huffed, fully convinced that Hiei was a certified sadist with an ego that would put any taiyoukai to shame. _'Men.'_

_**'I'm certain you have no lingering doubts about my masculinity.'**_ Kagome's blush was all the answer he needed. He hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her into his lap, brushing his lips across the nape of her neck in a slow, lingering kiss. With his arms wrapped around her, he inhaled deeply, enjoying the way her scent was now mingled so thoroughly with his own. _**'Mine,'**_ he growled.

Kagome snuggled further into his embrace and nodded. "Yeah," she whispered lazily.

_**'And you had best not forget it.'**_ Now that he'd had her, now that he'd tasted what she had to offer, Hiei was certain that he wasn't going to let go of his prize for a very long time. Her head drooped until her cheek rested against his shoulder. _**'Kagome?'**_ He chuckled when she failed to respond.

Hiei took a moment to indulge in the odd feeling of peacefulness that washed over him. Still, something nagged at the back of his mind, something about what the Jagan had shown him during its perusal of Kagome's mind. He was sure there was something important about the strange swirling of energy that the eye had found in the center of her soul, but he couldn't quite place what its significance was.

It was a little difficult to maneuver his pants back up over his hips and buckle the belts with the slumbering miko in his lap, but Hiei managed. He wrapped her yukata more securely around her tiny frame before he stood and carried her over to where the communication mirror had landed on the bare ground. He frowned for a moment, debating whether to take her back to Reikai or remain in Makai for a while longer. But the smell of the dead youkai (not to mention the heady aroma of Kagome's own human blood) would doubtless attract other youkai to the area soon, and he couldn't leave those damn packs unguarded.

With a heavy sigh, Hiei bent down and retrieved the communicator. When he flipped it open, Botan's shriek assaulted his sensitive ears.

"Hiei! What took you so long? The others are already waking, and Inu--"

"Open a portal now," Hiei demanded, cutting her off. "Send a few of Koenma's lackeys to retrieve the packs, and make certain they do not leave anything behind."

"Wha--" Hiei snapped the communicator shut before Botan could ask any more annoying questions. He took one last look around the gully, and something caught his eye, the glint of sunlight off of obsidian. With a slight smile, he pocketed the object before leaping up to the grassy plain. The whirling portal appeared in front of him, and Hiei stepped through, bracing himself for the confrontation that was sure to follow.

_Edited 17 May 2005_


	17. Awakening

**Paradox**  


by Somnambulicious

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer**:  
I don't own either  
_Inuyasha_ or _YuuYuu_;  
Somebody else does.

* * *

**Chapter 17**:** Awakening**

Koenma slumped back against his chair with a groan, rubbing his forehead. _Why? Why does this always have to happen in **my** office?_

Chaos had erupted the moment Hiei walked through the portal with an unconscious, disheveled miko in his arms...and none of the group's supplies that he and Kagome had ostensibly gone back to Makai to retrieve. Despite his weakened state, Inuyasha was screaming for blood, while the houshi and Kurabara tried their best to hold Sango back. Kurama leaned casually against the wall, not bothering to hide the amused glint in his eyes. Yuusuke, on the other hand, stood wide-eyed and frozen in place, before dropping to the floor in a fit of laughter. It was Yuusuke's reaction that finally made the fire apparition break his silence.

"Find something funny, tantei?" Hiei asked, glaring at the boy who was now trying to pick himself up off the floor.

"Hell, Hiei," Yuusuke said as he regained his composure, "I knew you were a strong little punk, but couldn't you go easy on her the first time?" In an instant, the room was shrouded in silence, and Yuusuke looked around in confusion. "Wait a minute, I was just kidding! Can't you guys take...a...ahh..." Yuusuke turned back to the fire apparition, who had his head cocked to the side and a smug grin on his face. He glanced over at Inuyasha, whose left eye was twitching furiously as he wrinkled up his nose. "Aw, shit. I'm gonna shut up now."

"Yes, I believe it's time for all of you to shut up now," said Koenma, looking pointedly at the seething hanyou. "So Hiei, care to explain why Kagome is sleeping and my paper pushers are currently retrieving the items you were supposed to bring back with you?"

"No." Hiei turned to leave, but found that the office door wouldn't budge. "Open this door now," he demanded, but Koenma merely shook his head.

"You aren't going anywhere until I get some answers."

Hiei sighed and shifted Kagome to a more comfortable position in his arms. "Thieves arrived before we did. I had to fight them."

"That doesn't explain why Kagome is unconscious," Koenma pointed out.

Inuyasha snorted. "Hell, it doesn't explain why you smell like--"

"You will hold your tongue, hanyou, unless you want me to rip it out for you," Hiei snarled. "You are hardly in any condition to fight."

"The hell I'm--"

"Shut UP!" Koenma bellowed. The last thing he needed was a fight to break out in his office. All those carefully stacked and sorted piles of paperwork...Koenma shuddered. "Hiei, you _will_ tell us what happened. I find it hard to believe that killing mere bandits took a whole three hours for you."

Hiei glowered at the demigod. He didn't relish the idea of admitting that he'd been injured, but the prospect of going into any kind of detail about his private life was even less appealing. "The final bandit managed to injure me before I defeated her. Kagome healed the injury."

"_She_ healed it?" Inuyasha asked incredulously. "That's a lie. Kagome couldn't even heal a scraped knee."

"Count yourself lucky that the miko is so fond of you," Hiei said, his eyes narrowing at the hanyou. "Otherwise you would find yourself eviscerated where you stand."

"You trusted an untrained miko to heal you?" Koenma asked, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Have you gone mad? We have healers here in Reikai that could have taken care of you, without the added risk of purification!"

"Not this injury," Hiei said with an almost imperceptible shudder. The memory of the Jagan's blinding pain was still fresh in his mind. "I doubt you have a single being in your employ who would dare to touch the Jagan, much less heal it."

"This thief managed to injure the Jagan?" Kurama asked, finally breaking his silence. "But if Kagome is untrained, how did she heal it without accidentally purifying you in the process?"

"She had help," Hiei replied cryptically. "Now if we're through with the interrogation, the girl needs to rest and recover her strength. Open the door."

Sango, however, wasn't satisfied with this abridged version of events. "What do you mean, help? Who helped her?"

Hiei ignored the taijiya's question. "Koenma, if you don't open this door now, I'll blast my way through."

"Hang on, shorty, I'm not through with you yet," said Inuyasha, stepping forward to tower over the fire apparition. "You haven't told us everything. Why is Kagome so exhausted? And what the fuck possessed you to make you do _that_ at a time like this?"

Hiei let his youki flare up in response to the hanyou's threatening stance. "I have told you all you need to know. Kagome's welfare is _my_ concern now."

"You staking a claim?" Inuyasha asked gruffly.

"The girl is mine. Any fool who dares to challenge me will be shown no mercy." The room suddenly became uncomfortably warm as Hiei completely unleashed his youki, backing his claim with a display of his raw power.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, and he slowly circled Hiei, gauging the strength of the smaller youkai who presumed to make a claim on his friend. Hiei was much stronger than he'd suspected, and there was an undercurrent of a more sinister power that made the hairs on Inuyasha's neck stand on end. He finally came to a halt in front of Hiei and gave a curt nod.

"If she's willing, the claim stands for now. I still need to see your fighting skill in action before I make a final decision, though," Inuyasha pronounced. "You had better take good fucking care of her."

Hiei rolled his eyes at that last remark. He hated going through the stupid formalities of making the claim, but he understood that to the inu, working out the pack hierarchy was instinctive, and Inuyasha wasn't going to relinquish his status as the girl's primary protector without making sure that Hiei was suitably equipped to provide for and protect her. _Which I am._

Koenma cleared his throat, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "If you're finished posturing now, the door is open, Hiei." With one final growl of warning, Hiei clutched the miko tighter to his chest and disappeared through the door. "And the rest of you, get back to your room. You're far from recovered at this point."

Once his office was, once again, blissfully empty, Koenma leaned back in his chair and breathed a sigh of relief. _At least that's out of the way now,_ he thought, grimacing at the pile of unprocessed papers on his desk. _Now, to get back to work._

* * *

Kagome awoke with a start, and probably would've jumped right off of the bookcase if Hiei hadn't tightened his hold on her. "Hiraikotsu!" she yelped in a panic. "Where is it?"

_**'Safe with the taijiya,'**_ Hiei said with a chuckle.

_'And my sword?'_ she asked, fumbling about in the semi-darkness for the wakizashi. Hiei took her hand and guided it toward the hilt of the purifying sword. With her weapon clasped tightly to her chest, Kagome relaxed. Then she finally took in her surroundings and looked up at Hiei with confusion written all over her face. She recognized the massive room as one of Reikai's many file storage areas, and this was an old one, if the thick coat of dust on the shelves was any indication.

"Hiei? Why are we on top of a bookcase?"

_**'Because there are no trees inside the Reikai palace,'**_ Hiei replied logically.

"...oh." Her stomach grumbled loudly, and Kagome blushed. "I guess I worked up quite an appetite, huh?"

_**'Understandably so,'**_ Hiei responded as he helped her to sit up. He reached over and picked a small tray up off of the bookshelf, setting it carefully in Kagome's lap. Kagome gave a squeal of delight when she saw what was on the tray.

"Unagi domburi? Gyoza? And tea! You thought of everything, Hiei!" she said, reaching over to give him a quick peck on the cheek. She muttered a quick "Itadakimasu" under her breath before she attacked the unagi domburi.

Hiei actually found himself blushing from her enthusiastic gratitude for the meal that he'd "procured" from Koenma's desk. Reikai's security hadn't improved at all since he'd stolen the Shadow Sword. What a strange turn of events this was: a scant few years after breaking into Reikai with the sole purpose of taking over Ningenkai, here Hiei was, stealing food for his miko lover and actually _blushing_ from her attentions. He tried not to think about it too much.

_'Are you feeling okay? How's my little Jagan-chan?'_ Kagome asked as she stuffed a rather large strip of eel into her mouth. Hiei simply rolled his eyes at her, so she reached over and poked his bare chest with her chopsticks. _'Are you ever going to wear a shirt again?'_

**_'You're the one who took it off,'_** Hiei reminded her as he batted the offending chopsticks away. _**'I thought you preferred me this way.'**_

Now it was Kagome's turn to blush. _'You do have a nice chest,'_ she admitted, her eyes lingering on his well-defined muscles, _'but I like your robe thing, too. It's rather sexy, in a sort of dark and mysterious way.'_

Hiei nearly fell off the bookcase at that. First, she called the evil implant in his forehead 'Jagan-chan,' and now she was saying that his clothes were...'sexy?' If he wasn't careful, this girl would ruin his carefully-built reputation as a cold-blooded killer. _What in the seven hells have I gotten myself into?_

_'Oh! How could I forget? How are the others?'_ Kagome asked, oblivious to Hiei's consternation.

_**'They were up when we arrived back from Makai,'**_ Hiei said with a shrug. _**'The hanyou felt well enough to threaten me, so it would appear that they are on the road to recovery.'**_

Kagome groaned. _'Inuyasha did that? I guess I'll have to have a talk with him.'_

**_'That won't be necessary,'_** Hiei said. _**'We have come to an understanding of sorts.'**_

Kagome's chopsticks slipped out of her fingers and clattered against the tray. "You...and Inuyasha...an understanding?" she whispered, wide-eyed. "And nobody had to be maimed or dismembered?"

_**'Not yet. The hanyou respects my claim**_.'

_'Claim?'_ Kagome asked, tilting her head to the side. _'What-- Oh. Oh, no! So everybody knows now?'_

_**'Of course,'**_ Hiei said with a snort. _**'You didn't actually believe you could hide something like that from an inu, did you?'**_ He narrowed his eyes and leaned toward her. _**'Why? Are you ashamed?'**_

_'Of you? Never!'_ Kagome replied quickly. _'It's just--'_ She sighed and picked her chopsticks up off of the tray for another mouthful of rice. _'I know I should be used to having absolutely no privacy by now, but I'm still not comfortable with my friends knowing every little detail of my private life.'_

_**'That won't matter for long,'**_ Hiei said dismissively. _**'Once that vile hanyou has been defeated, you can be free of all of this.'**_

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" Kagome murmured.

"What was that?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing," Kagome replied, patting his arm. "Hey, are you hungry?" She took one of the gyoza between her thumb and forefinger and lifted it to Hiei's mouth. After a moment's hesitation, he opened his mouth ever so slightly, taking just a tiny bit of the crispy dumpling between his teeth. He chewed thoughtfully and decided that it wasn't half bad. He would allow Kagome to feed him more.

Hiei leaned back against the wall and laced his fingers behind his head. He opened his mouth expectantly, and Kagome giggled. She slid her hand under the plate of dumplings, balancing it carefully on her palm as she positioned herself to straddle Hiei's legs. She put the gyoza to his mouth again and shivered when the tip of his tiny fangs grazed ever so slightly against her fingers. Her reaction did not go unnoticed by Hiei, and beneath the strong odor of the food, he could smell a slight tinge of arousal in her scent.

Kagome silently studied Hiei's features as she hand-fed him the rest of the dumplings. She could hardly believe that this youkai -- _this_ youkai, of all the people in the world -- was relaxing complacently as she fed him from her own fingers. _So beautiful,_ she thought, and her mind wandered back to images of that beautiful face wearing an entirely different expression, his eyes lit up with a fervent heat as he buried himself in her. How different he looked now, with his eyes half-lidded, almost lazy. Kagome shook her head. No, lazy wasn't the right word.

Kagome's forehead furrowed slightly as she set down the now-empty plate. She carefully poured a cup of steaming hot tea and quietly asked, "Hiei? Are you happy?"

Hiei immediately stiffened. _Happy?_ What kind of an absurd question was that? It wasn't something that he'd ever considered. _Ever._ He dutifully opened his mouth when Kagome lifted the cup of tea to his lips and took a sip, considering exactly how to answer her without offending her.

_**'I am comfortable,'**_ he said after a moment's hesitation. He hoped that she would think he'd misunderstood her, and not press the issue.

Kagome ran her fingers through her hair, her brows knitting together as she absently sipped from the same teacup. _Either he misunderstood the question, or he's being evasive._ Kagome put her money on the latter.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it." Her expression softened, and she lifted her fingers to brush along the line of Hiei's jaw. "Are you happy with me? I need to know, please."

Hiei felt his resolve melting from the earnest look in Kagome's eyes. What was it about this girl that made him soften so? _**'I am comfortable with you,'**_ he amended.

Kagome smiled. It wasn't a declaration of undying love and devotion, but it was probably as much as she'd ever get the fire apparition to reveal to her. Still grasping the half-empty teacup, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned forward to brush her lips over his.

A soft growl of satisfaction rumbled deep in Hiei's chest as Kagome all but melted in his lap. He intensified the kiss, sweeping his tongue across the line of her lower lip, and frowned when he felt her stiffen in his arms. The teacup slipped out of her fingers as her hands flexed, and she winced as it shattered on the floor far below.

"Hiei, I'm not--"

He silenced her protest by shifting her in his lap so that she was sitting sideways, her legs dangling over the edge of the shelf. _**'I know,'**_ he assured her, leaning in to nibble along the rim of her ear. _**'You need time for your body to recover.'**_

Kagome giggled nervously. "Well, you weren't exactly gentle," she reminded him.

Hiei cocked an eyebrow. "I don't seem to recall any protest on your part." He wrapped an arm possessively around her waist. _**'There will be ample time for such activities in the future. For now, I am not unaware of the limitations of your human body.'**_

Kagome frowned, trying not to take that as an insult, since she was certain he didn't mean it that way. _Somebody needs to teach him some social skills,_ she mused. _Maybe I could--_ Reality hit Kagome like a blow to the chest when she suddenly remembered that she wouldn't be around to attempt such a thing.

"I think I need to bathe now. After cheering you on in that slaughter, I probably need a good cleansing." Her mood was suddenly somber, and Kagome wanted the time alone to think.

Hiei buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply. _**'Nonsense. You smell wonderful. You smell like me.'**_

"And dirt and old sweat," Kagome added. "Besides, I'm really sore, and I think a few minutes under the waterfall would make me feel better."

_**'Very well,'**_ Hiei said, dipping his head to nip at the pulse point on her neck, _**'as long as we can spare the time later to get you smelling properly again.'**_ He was pleased to note the musky edge to her scent.

"Later," Kagome promised, pressing a brief kiss to his lips. A slight tensing of Hiei's grip around her waist was all the warning she had before he slipped off of the bookcase and whisked her off to the bathing pool.

Half an hour later, an unfortunate barefooted oni discovered the remains of the shattered teacup in the most unpleasant of ways.

* * *

Kagome waited beside the waterfall while Hiei retrieved her backpack. Once he was out of sight and she was finally alone, Kagome sighed and shrugged out of her yukata. _It's a good thing I brought extra underwear,_ she thought wryly. _Wait a minute, what's this?_ Kagome felt an unfamiliar weight against her collarbone, and she leaned over to look at her reflection in the pool. A necklace of black fangs encircled her neck. _Where did this come from?_

_'Hiei?'_ she called out in her mind. _'Where did the necklace come from?'_

_**'Spoils of battle,'**_ he replied nonchalantly, and Kagome suddenly recalled the necklace that Izumi had been wearing. _**'The serpent lost them when I knocked her out. They are fangs from an infant dragon, quite rare.'**_ He paused, waiting for her reaction. When none came, he asked, _**'Are you not pleased?'**_

_'What? Oh, yes! I just didn't expect it, that's all. Thank you very much. They're lovely.'_ Kagome pulled her hair up off the back of her neck and admired the way the fangs glistened in the light. She had to admit that it was a bit macabre, but the gift was so completely _Hiei_ that she couldn't help but smile...and it was far better than the severed head of an enemy. _'I've never had a guy give me something like this before. I mean, Houjou used to bring me herbal remedies and orthopaedic sandals, but--'_

_**'Who is this Houjou?'**_ Hiei interrupted, and Kagome could practically _feel_ his frown. She giggled.

_'He's a boy, a human boy I went to school with. I went on a few dates with him, but nothing ever came of it. He was just so...ordinary. I was jumping between times at that point, and while Houjou was a very nice boy and all, I was always so bored when I was with him. I don't think he could ever understand or accept the way I am now.'_ There was a hint of sadness in her mental voice, and Hiei waited silently for her to continue. _'I've lost so many of my old friends because of the way my life is now...Yuka, Eri, Ayumi...and I feel like I should be sad about that, like I'm a terrible person because I don't really miss them. They all think I've either joined a gang or dropped off the face of the earth...both of which are pretty much the truth,'_ she said with a giggle. _'Okay, I'm going to bathe now. You should probably go find your robe thing. If you like, I'll make you a new headband when I'm through.'_ Kagome dismissed his silence as a positive answer and stepped into the pool.

She finally let her cheery facade fall as the cold, clean water of the falls washed away the dirt and grime she'd accumulated in her brief trip to Makai. _I have to tell him,_ she told herself firmly. _I can't keep it a secret forever, and he trusts me. Tonight. I'll tell him tonight, after the others have gone to bed._

When she was thoroughly clean, Kagome continued to stand under the waterfall, staring at the rippling pool. _He really is serious about this,_ she thought. _The food...the necklace...the scent thing...oh, gods, what have I done?_ Her eyes widened in horror, and she slowly sank to her knees. She felt the kami of the waterfall reach out to her, wrapping itself around her soul comfortingly as if in answer to her unspoken prayer. _I'm the first person he's ever allowed to get this close to him, and after all we've been through, after all he's shared with me...I'm going to have to leave him._ She clutched the bar of soap to her chest and sobbed brokenly. _I'm such an awful person. I've let down everyone I love...my family...Souta...Shippou...my friends...and now Hiei. I'm such a fool. I should never have allowed him to get involved in this._

But the damage had been done, and there was no turning back now. Hardening her resolve, Kagome stepped out from under the water and took a deep breath. Tonight...yes, tonight she would tell him the truth. _No more secrets, no more hiding. I'll tell him the truth and accept the consequences._ Kagome didn't dare to hope that he'd forgive her. She didn't think that she deserved it.

* * *

All eyes were on Kagome the moment she shuffled into the room, wearing a white cotton yukata that Hiei had "borrowed" from Botan. Most of the group were lounging in varying levels of disarray on the futons; Kurama, of course, sat cross-legged on top of a carefully folded blanket, and Hiei sat with his back against the wall. Kagome caught Sango's searching gaze and smiled reassuringly, dropping her backpack in the corner before sitting next to Hiei with her legs tucked primly beneath her.

"How are you all feeling?" Kagome asked, absentmindedly fingering the string of fangs around her neck.

"I believe we're doing quite well, considering what happened," Kurama said. "From what Koenma told us, we owe you our lives."

"Oh, it was nothing," Kagome said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I'm just glad you guys are actually conscious already."

"The healers of Reikai are highly skilled," said Miroku. "Two of them were just here while you were sleeping." Kagome didn't miss the way he emphasized the word _sleeping_ or the knowing glint in his eyes. She couldn't stop the idiotic grin that spread across her face.

"So how long will it be before we can start the search again?" she asked.

"The healers think we should be in top form again in a couple of days," said Yuusuke. He stretched his arms up over his head and yawned. "Until then, we're just gonna be really tired. Lots of sleep."

"Speaking of healers," Sango said, locking her gaze on Kagome, "Hiei says that you healed him while you were in Makai. How did you manage to do it without purifying him?"

Kagome quickly looked to Hiei, wondering how much of the story she was free to tell. He shrugged and leaned back against the wall with his hands behind his head, and she took that to mean she could tell the whole story. "It was just a small cut on the Jagan. It helped me to separate my reiki from my--"

"It?" Kurama interrupted. "Surely you don't mean--"

"Yeah, the Jagan. Anyway--"

"Whoa, whoa, wait up a minute!" said Yuusuke, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You mean to say that you let that...that _thing_ control you?"

"Yep! Anyway, like I was saying, my reiki--"

"Man, that thing creeps me out," Kurabara cut in. "I don't think I would let something so totally evil like that take over my mind."

"It's not that evil!" Kagome said. Seeing the incredulous looks she was getting from Yuusuke and Kurabara, Kagome felt compelled to further defend the Jagan. "It is not!"

"No," said Kurabara, pointing an accusing finger at Hiei's forehead, "I have a sense about stuff like that, and that implant thing is totally evil."

"Hold on," said Sango. "You're talking about his third eye? It's implanted?"

Kurabara nodded sagely. "That's what gives him all those creepy telepathic powers and lets him use the Jaou Enkiru Kokuryuhaa."

"It's _Ensatsu_, you pathetic moron," Hiei snapped. "Say it right or don't say it at all."

"So you're a telepath?" Sango asked. Hiei sighed heavily and nodded.

"You guys don't know much about Hiei, do you?" asked Yuusuke.

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. "Keh. He's strong. Kagome likes him. What else do we need to know?" He blushed at the grateful smile Kagome flashed at him.

"You mean you just accepted him without knowing what kind of powers he has or anything about his past?" asked Yuusuke. "That's a pretty stupid way to lead, if you ask me."

"You knew next to nothing about Hiei when we showed up at the Maze Castle," Kurama reminded him.

"Yeah, well I wasn't given much of a choice, was I?" Yuusuke shot back. "Besides, I'm older and more experienced now."

"Experienced?" Inuyasha barked out a laugh. "How long have you been doing this tantei thing?"

"Five, maybe six years now," Yuusuke said defensively. "Why? What's that got to do with anything?"

"Grew up like a normal human, didn't you? Family, school, no clue that youkai even existed, right?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"And when you did find out and started to play the Mighty Youkai Hunter, you had a hell of a lot of help, didn't you?"

"All right! What's your fucking point?"

"I've been doing this shit my whole life, fighting fang and claw just to survive. No teacher. No fucking mentor. I know what it's like to do things you're not proud of. We all do," he said, gesturing to Kagome, Sango and Miroku. "Hell, even Kagome's had to do shit she regrets. None of us is perfect, but we trust each other with our lives. I'm sure you've had to do that too, right?"

"Well...yeah, of course," Yuusuke said, glancing sideways at Kurabara.

"Good," Inuaysha nodded. "Then you'll understand. Kagome may not be the strongest fighter in my group, but she's _never_ wrong about people. Never. Good leader has to know when he can delegate stuff to other people like that." Satisfied that his supreme logic had trumped the human's criticism, Inuyasha leaned back against the wall and tucked his hands into his sleeves with a superior smirk on his face.

"Uh-huh," Yuusuke said dryly. He hooked his hands behind his head and flopped down on his back, grinning up at the ceiling. "I'm sure it has nothing to do with that girly necklace she makes you wear." _Three...two...one..._

"Just what the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Kurama cleared his throat, hoping to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand. "Ah, Kagome, weren't you telling us how you healed the Jagan?"

"Oh, right!" Kagome snapped out of the daze induced by Inuyasha's sudden display of something resembling maturity. "Like I was saying, the Jagan helped me separate my reiki from my purifying energy, and that's what I used to heal it."

_I knew there was something blended about her energy!_ Youko said excitedly. _Ask Hiei about it!_

_Youko? I thought you were asleep. Why are you so interested in Kagome's energy now?_ Kurama asked with no small amount of suspicion.

_Just ask him. I have my reasons_.

Kurama rolled his eyes and turned to Hiei. "Youko wants to know--"

"It felt like sei kou ki."

Hiei's blunt statement immediately drew Yuusuke's attention away from the growling hanyou. "Sei kou ki? You mean like Sensui? I thought it took years of training to develop that!"

"He said it was _like_ sei kou ki, Yuusuke. Perhaps the purifying energy..." Kurama frowned and stood up, silently cursing the residual effects of the shouki that left his legs feeling weak and unsteady. He crossed the room slowly and knelt down in front of Kagome, lifting a hand to get a better feel of the girl's energy. He stopped short at Hiei's possessive growl.

"Hiei, you do realize that if Kagome wishes to gain more thorough control of her abilities, she's going to need help," Kurama chastised.

"You can help me?" Kagome asked. For years, Kaede had attempted to help her gain some measure of control over her powers, but Kagome remained able to do little more than channel her energy into hamaya and the wakizashi.

Kurama smiled gently at the tentative hopefulness shining in Kagome's eyes. "I can't promise anything, but kitsune are pretty much the experts on energy."

"We can do this someplace more private," Hiei cut in. "I doubt she will be comfortable with having an audience."

"You sure you're up to that, Kurama?" asked Yuusuke. "We're supposed to be getting plenty of rest to recover from the shouki."

"I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine." _Besides,_ Youko added silently, _if the miko really is what I think she is, we're going to benefit from this training just as much as she will._ Kurama stood and turned on his heel, only to find himself nose to nose with a suspicious hanyou.

"You'd better not be up to something funny, kitsune." Inuyasha turned his most threatening glare on Kurama, who returned his stare with bland disinterest. "We didn't come this far just to have Kagome drained by some hungry kitsune."

"I'll keep an eye on him," Hiei offered, much to everyone's surprise. "But I doubt it will be necessary. Kurama would not be foolish enough to jeopardize Kagome's safety."

"We should probably draw up some plans before you guys run off," said Yuusuke. "We need to be ready to head out as soon as we're all recovered enough." He propped himself up on his elbows to get a better look at Kagome. "Koenma filled us in on the short version of what happened with Naraku, but I'd like to hear the details."

Kagome shifted uncomfortably, smoothing out the fabric of the yukata. She couldn't tell them the whole truth, but glossing over the details would give the impression that Naraku was a weak opponent. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth while she tried to decide exactly what to tell them.

"Like Koenma probably told you, I dragged you all out of that gully one by one. By the time you were all safely out of the shouki, I was completely exhausted, and the kugutsu took me by surprise. He-- He could have killed us all and taken the jewel, but he didn't. He just--" Kagome took a deep breath and lowered her eyes. "He was taunting me, making fun of me, and I was lucky enough to hit the core of the kugutsu with my first hamaya."

"What did he say?" Yuusuke pressed. "It could be important."

Kagome still refused to raise her eyes. Hiei must have sensed her discomfort, because she suddenly felt his hand resting lightly on the back of her neck, and the tension melted out of her shoulders. "He said-- He said my choice of allies was funny, and he made fun of me for associating with criminals, and he said other things, things that made me so angry. Then he told me he wanted to slow us down so he could spend more time with--" She faltered and choked back a sob. "--with Souta."

The room was completely silent, with the exception of Kagome's quiet sobs. Sango scooted nearer to her friend and reached out to offer a comforting hug, but Hiei growled softly and pulled Kagome into his lap. Sango drew back in confusion.

"Oh, come on, Hiei." Kagome giggled as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Sango's a girl. It's not like she's going to jump me or anything."

Hiei quirked an eyebrow at her. "Izumi was female as well. That didn't stop her." Kagome giggled again and rested her head against Hiei's shoulder, giving Sango an apologetic grin. Sango shrugged off Hiei's behavior as the overprotectiveness of a male youkai and returned to her futon.

"Who the hell is Izumi?" asked Yuusuke, his curiosity piqued at the thought of girl-on-girl action.

"She was the third of the bandits who had designs on your belongings. She seemed to have an..._unhealthy_ fondness for Kagome," said Hiei.

"Unhealthy?" Yuusuke did a poor job of hiding his amusement at Hiei's obvious jealous streak. He bit his lip in an attempt to stop the wide grin that threatened to cross his lips, but he couldn't hide the bemused sparkle in his eyes.

Hiei set his jaw and leveled an unwavering glare on Yuusuke. "It turned out to be _very_ unhealthy for her."

"Ahem. We should be getting back to the subject at hand," said Kurama. "More specifically, why Naraku didn't kill us all and take the jewel shards when he had ample opportunity to do so."

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Inuyasha. "The bastard's toying with us. He's fucking sick."

"I'm afraid I have to disagree with you," said Miroku, shaking his head. "Naraku may derive pleasure from his twisted mind games, but that's not reason enough for him to pass up such an opportunity. There must be something more, another reason to delay us."

"He did say that he wanted more time with Souta," Kurama pointed out. "Now the question is whether he was merely taunting Kagome, or there's some truth to that statement."

"But what could he possibly want with Souta?" asked Kagome. "He's just a little kid. He doesn't have any special powers or anything."

Kurama sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. But there's got to be a reason for him to delay us."

"Which means that we've really got to find the bastard before he finishes whatever his plans are," said Yuusuke. This was all too reminiscent of the ordeal with Sensui, and Yuusuke was starting to get a headache. "The question is, how do we find him?"

Nobody could come up with an answer to that. That is, until Kurabara finally added his two cents. "Man, it's too bad Kagome doesn't have one of those spooky Jagan things. Then I bet we could find him in no time."

Yuusuke stared at his best friend in slack-jawed amazement. "Kurabara," he said, in an awed, almost reverent tone, "you're a fucking genius." Kurabara wasn't sure what he'd said that made him a fucking genius, so he did the smart thing and kept his mouth shut.

"He's right! I can't believe we never thought of it before!" Kurama turned to Hiei, his eyes practically glowing with excitement. "Hiei, you can use the Jagan to access Kagome's--"

"Out of the question." Hiei's abrupt denial startled Kurama, but Kagome knew the reasoning behind his refusal.

"Hiei, please," Kagome said softly. "This might be our only chance to find Naraku before he's finished with whatever he's planning to do to my brother."

"Absolutely not. I am not willing to take that risk, and neither should you."

Kagome stiffened and drew back from him. "He's my _brother_. Of course I'm willing to take that risk. Please, Hiei," she said, searching his eyes for any hint that he might reconsider, "help me find my brother."

Miroku coughed, drawing everyone's attention to himself. "Excuse me, but what risk are you talking about? How exactly can Hiei help find Naraku?"

"It's the eye," Kurama explained patiently. "Theoretically, he can use the Jagan to access Kagome's unique ability to sense the Shikon no Tama and amplify it, allowing him...or her...to sense the shards from a much greater distance." He shook his head. "Like I said, it's only a theory, but it would seem to be the best chance we've got at the moment."

"And you're okay with this, Kagome?" asked Inuyasha. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of that strange creature in Hiei's forehead probing into Kagome's mind.

Kagome nodded enthusiastically. "If the Jagan could my healing powers on itself, I don't see why it couldn't use my ability to sense the shards. The last experience was..." She trailed off, and her eyes glazed over at the memory of what the Jagan's presence had felt like, piercing her very soul as if it had belonged there all along. When she realized that everyone else was staring at her and waiting for her to continue, Kagome blushed and ducked her head. "Well, it wasn't unpleasant," she finished quickly with what she hoped was a casual wave of the hand.

"Then why is Hiei so against it?" asked Sango.

"Hiei is afraid that the Jagan won't let go of my mind. He thinks that it has some sneaky plan to-- Well, I'm not sure what he thinks it would do to me, but I didn't sense any malicious intent from it. I think it was just curious." _And happy,_ she added silently. _Very, very happy._ "Besides, even if it did try to hurt me, I have no doubt that Hiei's strong enough to make it stop."

Hiei narrowed his eyes at her. _**'That was low, woman. Even for a human.'**_

_'What on earth are you talking about?'_ asked Kagome, putting on her most innocent expression.

Hiei choked back an involuntary growl. If he refused to go along with this ridiculous plan now, he would look like a weakling to the others, like he wasn't strong enough to control the Jagan. The rest of his team would begin to question his ability to restrain the malevolent desires of the implant, and Kagome's friends would, no doubt, attempt to steer her away from his company. She had backed him into a corner with all the skill and feigned innocence of a master con artist. He was impressed.

"Very well," Hiei said reluctantly. "But only on two conditions."

"And what would those be?" Kagome asked. It had taken her a while, but she was finally learning to ask about the conditions before she walked blindly into provisional agreements.

"One, you will allow the fox to help you gain some control over your abilities. Two, this idiotic experiment will cease the moment either of us senses anything amiss."

"It's a deal!" Kagome squealed and threw her arms around Hiei's neck. He glared over her shoulder at Yuusuke and Kurabara, who were both suffering from feigned choking attacks. Kagome turned her bright eyes to Kurama. "When can we start?"

"Now, if you like," Kurama replied. "As Hiei suggested, we should find a more secluded location. I believe there is a spot near the gates to paradise that would be ideal for our purposes. It's not too far from the palace, and I should be able to make it there with a little assistance."

"Okay then," Yuusuke said through a jaw-cracking yawn. "You guys go on. I'm beat. If you see Botan, tell her to bring us some more food."

"Wait a second," snapped Inuyasha. He turned to Kagome, and his eyes softened with concern for her. "Kagome, are you sure about this?"

Kagome smiled gently at him. "I am. I've wanted to learn how to use these stupid powers for so long, but this is the first time I've found somebody who might actually be able to help me. Besides, this might be my best chance to find and free Souta."

"And you're sure about everything else, too?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome didn't have to guess about what he was getting at. She leaned against Hiei and smiled. "I'm happy," she said softly.

Inuyasha gave a curt nod. "Good," he said. "That's all I needed to hear."

Yuusuke clasped his hands next to his cheek and did his best impression of a dreamy sigh. "Aww, isn't that sweet?"

"Shut up, Urameshi!" Kurabara reached over to clobber his friend over the head. "It _is_ sweet!"

"Yeah, so sweet I think I'm getting a cavity," Yuusuke muttered under his breath while he rubbed his head.

At this point, Kagome's face was red enough to rival her eyes. She had forgotten for a moment there that they had a roomful of observers. "Okay, then! Let's get going!" She sprung to her feet and offered Kurama a hand, but he wisely declined her offer when he saw the threatening glint in Hiei's eyes. Kurama stood slowly on his own and inclined his head to the rest of the group before he followed the miko and the fire apparition out of the room.

Hiei glanced back over his shoulder and frowned at the kitsune avatar. He had a really bad feeling about this...

_Edited 17 May 2005_


End file.
